5 'Unknowns' Who Can Break Out for MSU in 2026
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There are usually a few players who can rise up and surprise some people each football season.
The probability of that feels even higher at Michigan State. Pat Fitzgerald is entering his first season as the head coach of the Spartans, and the ratio of returning players to new ones is close to 1:1. It's a blank slate. That means some players who may be projected lower on the depth chart have a real shot to earn more playing time than expected. These five seem like good candidates.
WR Charles Taplin
One of the interesting notes from this April's "Spring Showcase" was where Charles Taplin seemed to stand among the wideouts. He was getting first-team reps during the spring finale, which was not expected during the winter.
Taplin was nearly the lowest-rated recruit in MSU's 2025 recruiting class. He finished the cycle ranked 1,671st overall on the 247Sports Composite, coming out of Red Oak, Texas. Only running back Zion Gist was rated lower (2,642nd). Michigan State took two wide receivers ranked higher than Taplin: Braylon Collier (821st) and Bryson Williams (1,024th).
Taplin also redshirted last season, appearing in his four maximum allowed games to preserve his year of eligibility. He made one catch in his debut against Minnesota, gaining eight yards.
LB Adam Shaw
One of the other surprises of April was linebacker Adam Shaw. He was on the field a fair amount during Michigan State's scrimmage, mostly running with the second-teamers. This is still certainly ahead of the schedule that Shaw should be on.
Shaw missed most of his senior season with an injury, which could easily knock a young player off course. He was ranked around the middle of the pack in the Spartans' recruiting class, finishing out at 1,028th overall in the class of 2026. Even with a pretty packed group of linebackers ahead of him, Shaw seemed to make a strong first impression as an early enrollee.
DL Carlos Hazelwood
One of the more under-the-radar transfer portal additions for MSU is Toledo transfer Carlos Hazelwood. He publicly committed to the Spartans out of the portal back on Jan. 8 and was one of six commitments Michigan State received that day, so it's news that would've been easy to miss.
Hazelwood is going to be an important part of MSU's defensive line this fall. Michigan State has Ben Roberts, Eli Coenen, and Derrick Simmons ready to rotate in and out of the game, but Hazelwood will have to stay ready. One injury, and he's right into that top three, playing regular snaps. Hazelwood played just 83 defensive snaps last season at Toledo, so Michigan State will be seeking a real jump from Hazelwood in his jump to the Power Four level.
EDGE Cal Thrush
One of the other winners from the spring game was redshirt freshman Cal Thrush. He didn't play a snap last year, but he seems to have bulked up quite a bit already. Thrush weighed 247 pounds last season, but he grew to 263 pounds on the Spartans' spring roster. His height even increased from 6'4" to 6'5". He was also a Third Team Scout Team Player of the Week.
Thrush was a low-to-mid-tier three-star recruit from Upper Arlington High School in Columbus, Ohio. Cincinnati was the only other Power Four school to offer Thrush. He finished ranked 1,419th overall in the class of 2025, which was the fourth-lowest among the high school recruits in the Spartans' class.
Michigan State needs somebody to emerge among its group of pass rushers. It's something it had to address in the transfer portal, but Thrush seems like an internal candidate to take a step forward in 2026 and surprise some people.
TE Edward Whiting
Another potential surprise freshman contributor is Edward Whiting. Tight end is a point of intrigue for MSU right now. There is a relatively large group of players who could all play this season, but nobody is really proven yet.
Whiting was getting some pretty good reviews from tight end coach Brian Wozniak during the spring. Just maybe, there is a chance that it carries over into the spring, and Whiting can get snaps right off the bat.
Part of the surprise here is that Whiting is another true freshman who wasn't all that highly ranked. He finished ranked 1,064th overall in the class of 2026, but his offer list tells a different story.
Some of the other notable offers Whiting received include Iowa, Alabama, Colorado, Auburn, Michigan, Nebraska, UCLA, and Wisconsin. That list of interested programs just feels like a tell-tale sign of Whiting's future.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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