How MSU's Lisle Forging Big Role in Defense's Present, Future

The Spartans brought Lisle in from the transfer portal this offseason.

Notre Dame running back Nolan James Jr., right, runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown during a NCAA football game against Michigan State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in South Bend. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

EAST LANSING -- Things weren't going great for Trey Lisle in his first FBS training camp.

Lisle transferred to Michigan State this offseason after beginning his career with two years at Southeast Missouri State. The main expectation for Lisle was to be a depth piece on the edges of MSU's defensive line this year. He wasn't a starter at SEMO in 2025, but his size at 6'6" and 254 pounds made him seem like an intriguing project for the Spartans' coaching staff. Things seem to be a bit ahead of schedule, despite a rocky start.

'Rock Bottom' Before Season

Sep 19, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Pat Fitzgerald arrives before the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Trey is a great example of a young man that made a decision at a certain point in training camp to change his mindset and his habits..." head coach Pat Fitzgerald said on Monday. "It wasn't maybe going the way he wanted it during training camp or the way we wanted it, and there was kind of a day in camp that just didn't go well. Maybe, you know, for lack of a better phrase, just kind of hit a little bit of rock bottom from a standpoint of maybe frustration for him."

Lisle only received eight total defensive snaps during Michigan State's first two games against Toledo and Eastern Michigan. Then, all of a sudden, against Notre Dame, he got 26 defensive snaps. The pathway to snaps in those first two games, and then the uptick against the Fighting Irish, began on MSU's scout team.

"Trey made a choice that he wanted to impact this team right here, right now, and he did it through scout team reps," Fitzgerald also said. "He didn't go out and run the defense. He didn't go out and execute in the kick game. He did it as a scout-look player for our special teams first, and all of a sudden, everybody kind of said, 'That's what we're looking for, Trey,' and I think that just spurred his confidence, and I think his hunger to play."

Excitement for Lisle's Future

Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald speaks during a press conference at Spartan Stadium on Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, ahead of a game against Nebraska. | Jacob Cotsonika, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Lisle finding a way to earn a role on the defense this year is also exciting, since he's still got two more years of eligibility after 2026. His ceiling is amongst the highest on the Spartans' defense with that aforementioned size and ability to switch from rush end to defensive end, and even to defensive tackle at times.

"He's nowhere close to where he can be, which is exciting," Fitzgerald said. "But the future is right now. So we've got to keep coaching you-know-what out of him... We're really proud of him, and we're going to push him even harder now that he's shown that he's got it."