MSU Football Freshman Report: Who Is Rising in Fall Ball
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The roles for Michigan State's 2026 recruiting class will be interesting.
Most of the Spartans' class originally committed to the program while Jonathan Smith was the head coach, but Pat Fitzgerald did a relatively good job keeping the group together while holding onto most of MSU's most prized recruits. These freshman have seemed to do the best during their first college fall camp:
LB Adam Shaw
One of the revelations thus far has been linebacker Adam Shaw. I didn't personally have super high hopes of seeing Shaw a ton this season. He mostly played quarterback in high school, and he missed nearly all of his senior season due to injury.
Alas, Adam, the son of former All-American offensive lineman and Michigan State team captain Scott Shaw, has exceeded expectations thus far. Fitzgerald says Shaw has gained 15 pounds or so since he arrived on campus as an early enrollee. Shaw probably also got the most playing time among freshmen during the spring scrimmage in April, largely playing with MSU's second-teamers.
WR Samson Gash
There should also be a role this season for wide receiver Samson Gash. His recruitment stretched out for a couple of months after Fitzgerald was hired by the Spartans. Gash first verbally committed to Michigan State in June 2025. Penn State and West Virginia eventually became flip candidates, but they never got Gash to actually change his mind.
Gash's speed should get him on the field right away. He set a Michigan state record with a 10.41-second 100-meter dash during his junior year at Detroit Catholic Central. It's never a bad idea to get the ball to a player that fast. The team hasn't really shown its hand regarding who may become the team's punt returner, but Gash would be my pick for that role right now.
What will also help Gash is that MSU is probably going to deploy a rotation at wide receiver this year. The team has normally relied on its starters more than most at that position, with receivers coach Courtney Hawkins, but it makes sense to give more players a share of the snaps, given how small the gap between the starters and the rest appears to be.
Gash isn't a starter right now. The starters in the Spartans' receiver room seem to be Chrishon McCray in the slot, Charles Taplin at X, and Rodney Bullard Jr. at Z. Bullard's eligibility for the coming season was cleared by the NCAA on Monday as well.
QB Kayd Coffman
I'm still quite optimistic about what Kayd Coffman will become someday. He really impressed me during the spring, showing off a strong arm and some elusiveness during the scrimmage. It could be a while before Coffman gets his turn as a starter, especially with Alessio Milivojevic holding eligibility through 2028, but the early signs show a quarterback who has a very high ceiling.
Coffman may also be willing to be on the patient side. His commitment to Michigan State was never in jeopardy, even through the coaching change, and he's also an in-state recruit. Coffman's ceiling this season is QB3 behind Milivojevic and Cam Fancher, but his long-term development will be very interesting to track.
TE Eddie Whiting
I've also liked what I've seen from tight end Eddie Whiting. He's going to push for some occasional snaps this season. Whiting would probably have redshirted if he had joined the team last year under previous eligibility rules, but the new "5-in-5" rules mean that there isn't any reason to keep Whiting on the bench if he's ready to play.
Whiting was right around the middle of the Spartans' latest class in the rankings -- 11th based on the 247Sports Composite. His offer list may have been the most impressive of anybody, though. Some of his other notable opportunities came from Alabama, Iowa, Auburn, Florida, Illinois, Colorado, Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Washington, UCLA, and Minnesota.
EDGE Cory House Jr.
One of the most physically imposing freshmen in the class is Cory House Jr. He's working with the team's rush ends unit alongside Kenny Soares Jr., Anelu Lafaele, and some others. House is listed at 6'3" and 230 pounds on MSU's official roster, but he looks bigger and taller than that out on the practice field.
House was ranked in the lower portion of Michigan State's class, finishing 1,213th overall on the 247Sports Composite. He also had an impressive offer list, though, getting looks from Iowa, Indiana, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Illinois, and Maryland.
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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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