Fitzgerald’s First MSU Offseason Earns Lukewarm Portal Reviews
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After finishing last season with a 4–8 record, Michigan State athletic director J Batt decided to move on from head coach Jonathan Smith and hired former Northwestern head football coach Pat Fitzgerald.
With Fitzgerald taking over as the new head coach of the Spartans, many players from last year’s roster have entered the transfer portal. Most of those players were originally recruited by Mel Tucker, who was fired after harassment allegations came to light. With Jonathan Smith also being dismissed, it is understandable that players would choose to leave in search of greater stability.
More than a month into his new job, Fitzgerald has had his work cut out for him this offseason. While he has completed assembling his coaching staff, that has not stopped roster turnover from continuing. In total, 44 players from last year’s team have entered the transfer portal.
Although Fitzgerald has lost a significant amount of talent, he has made an effort to restock the roster. Michigan State has added 27 incoming transfers so far. While it is encouraging that Fitzgerald has targeted players who fit his preferred style of play, that approach has not translated into high national rankings.
Where does Michigan State's transfer Class Rank
According to On3 and 247Sports, Michigan State is currently ranked in the 50s nationally in transfer portal team rankings. The Spartans are ranked No. 52 by 247Sports and No. 58 by On3.
CBS Sports also recently released grades for every first-year Power Four head coach based on their transfer portal classes, and Michigan State did not fare much better in that evaluation.
CBS Sports writer Carter Bahns gave Michigan State a C- grade, tied for second-to-last among Power Four programs alongside Iowa State. Stanford ranked last with a D-.
While Bahns credited Fitzgerald for aggressively addressing the offensive line, he noted that it was the primary position group Michigan State targeted and that few of the incoming players were highly ranked overall.
Michigan State’s highest-ranked transfer is offensive tackle Ben Murawski from UConn, who received an 87 grade from 247Sports. By comparison, the Spartans lost two players—Aidan Chiles and Nick Marsh—who were both ranked as four-star transfers.
“Michigan State hit the offensive line hard, filling its most glaring position of need with four pickups,” Bahns wrote. “Building an offensive line through the portal is a treacherous endeavor, though, so the jury is out on whether the Spartans will take a necessary step forward in the trenches. That is essentially the only group that Pat Fitzgerald addressed with potential upgrades, though, unless his pickups at other positions prove to be hidden gems. That six departing Spartans rank higher than the program's top newcomer is telling of which way the talent is flowing this cycle.”
While Pat Fitzgerald’s first offseason at Michigan State has been marked by significant roster turnover and modest transfer portal rankings, the early returns do not tell the full story of the rebuild. With multiple coaching changes in recent years, stability and development may take precedence over immediate star power. Whether this portal class proves to be a foundation for long-term success or a temporary setback will ultimately be determined once the Spartans take the field.
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