High-Profile MSU Players Facing Big Expectations in 2026

NIL is a large part of the conversation nowadays.

For better or worse, there is a more transactional component to college football in 2026. According to Opendorse, Big Ten schools are spending an average of $48 million to assemble their sports teams this year, with the majority of that going to football. These Michigan State players are probably among the highest earners on the team and thereby the holders of some large expectations:

LB Jordan Hall

It probably wasn't super cheap to keep linebacker Jordan Hall around for another year. Hall likely had plenty of leverage in negotiations after a stellar 2025 season in which he led the team with 88 tackles, tied for the team lead with 2.5 sacks, and had a team-high three forced fumbles. It would've been pretty reasonable for Hall to leave after a second head coaching firing in three years, but Pat Fitzgerald did enough to keep him for his Year 4 season.

With good health, I think Hall could reach that 100-tackle mark this season. He took a big leap between the 2024 and 2025 seasons and remained pretty productive last year despite playing through turf toe and a torn oblique during the back half of the season. Hall will have the option to return to college in 2027 with the NCAA's new eligibility rules, but he's aiming for a shot at the NFL Draft.

Rush End Kenny Soares Jr.

One portal prospect who likely had a higher price tag is Kenny Soares Jr. He's actually the only player on the roster who has played for Fitzgerald before, starting at Northwestern in 2022. Soares spent last season at NC State, where he made 80 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, and half a sack.

Soares will only spend one year at Michigan State as a redshirt senior, but he's made a great impression in the offseason. Fitzgerald brought over a tradition he had at Northwestern, where the player on the team who most exemplified the program's values got to wear No. 1. Soares was voted by his teammates to get it this year.

What also makes Soares one of the most intriguing players on this year's roster is his shift in role. He's played linebacker throughout his career, but he'll move down to the defensive line and play rush end at MSU.

Defensive coordinator Joe Rossi says NC State was going to move Soares to EDGE as well, but some other injuries at linebacker made the Wolfpack move him back. I was a little surprised that it wasn't Buffalo transfer Dion Crawford getting moved from linebacker to rush end at first, but the fact that the Spartans aren't the only Power Four team to think of this move for Soares does provide some more optimism.

S Nikai Martinez

Another high-profile returnee was free safety Nikai Martinez. Last year was supposed to be Martinez's final college season as a true senior, but injuries (and perhaps an additional business decision) limited Martinez to just four games. That allowed him to redshirt and return to college for a fifth season.

Martinez was one of Michigan State's most effective players in 2024 after he transferred from UCF. He finished third on the team with 51 total tackles and also had a pair of interceptions. Martinez also played 724 defensive snaps that season, the most on the Spartans' defense that year. With Martinez mostly absent last season, MSU's pass defense went from being ranked 46th in the FBS to 92nd.

CB Charles Brantley

Speaking of the secondary, bringing back Charles Brantley was a big step in the Spartans' quest to fortify their secondary. He began his career with four years at Michigan State, best known for his game-sealing pick against Michigan in 2021, but his best season was in 2024. Brantley intercepted three passes without allowing a touchdown, according to PFF. He would've probably been an All-Big Ten selection had he not gotten hurt and missed the final three games of the year.

The question is whether Brantley can return to that form after his unusual year at Miami (FL). He only appeared in three games during the 2025 season and portaled in the middle of the Hurricanes' CFP run. Brantley was also limited for a big portion of the offseason.

RB Cam Edwards

MSU's biggest portal addition of the offseason was probably former UConn running back Cam Edwards. He was one of the most productive running backs in the entire FBS last year, rushing for 1,240 yards (15th in the nation) and 15 touchdowns (T-13th in the nation).

The expectation for Edwards should be that he is Michigan State's best running back since Kenneth Walker III. He may not have the counting stats he had at UConn with the jump in competition, but Edwards should be an above-average Big Ten RB1.

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