How Philosophy Changes Could Help Michigan State This Year
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Changes have come for the Michigan State Spartans football program this offseason. These are the types of changes that many fans are excited about, and they could finally put the team back on track as a Big Ten contender.
First-year head coach Pat Fitzgerald has made a host of changes to the roster and coaching staff, opening the door to philosophical shifts that could bring progressive change to Michigan State football. With new roster additions and stylistic approaches to both offense and defense, it could spell promising things for the Spartans.
Will the Spartans' Philosophical Changes Work?
My colleague and Spartans On SI beat writer Jacob Cotsonika wrote about the tactical changes we could expect from Michigan State this fall, including a more progressive run game, more creativity on offense, and greater aggression in the defensive secondary. The question I want to answer from this is whether these changes could help the team this year and, if so, how.
Michigan State has put on pitiful football for the past few years. Some Spartans fans wonder whether 2021 was more of a fluke in the post-Mark Dantonio era, given how things transpired with Mel Tucker. It may have been, but the Spartans seem to have made improvements on both sides of the ball that could allow them not only to be a competitive program in 2026 but also one that could create chaos in the Big Ten.
How Michigan State's Changes Could Lead to Progress
The run game is what I'm most excited about, which in turn pairs well with the idea of a more creative offense. Cam Edwards is a terrific running back who could be the Spartans' best playmaker this season. Offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan has spent the last two years at Alabama in the same role, and based on what I've seen of that style of offense, there will surely be more misdirection, counters, pulling guards, trap concepts, and wide zone concepts.
Defensively, there are a lot of productive defensive backs in the Spartans' secondary. Charles Brantley and Tre Bell could be tough outside cornerbacks for opposing wideouts to deal with this season, and with better talent comes a more committed approach to aggression in shell drops out of zone coverage rather than sitting in zone and attempting to limit big plays.
However, this is dependent on the pass rush. Fitzgerald was aggressive in adding talent to the room, and Kenny Soares Jr. will be a key part in helping the secondary become decisive in coverage. I'm confident that Michigan State will finish the year with at least 30 team sacks.
I'm also fairly confident that the Spartans have the right approach to getting back to a bowl game this winter. Fitzgerald is known for instilling a competitive, disciplined locker room culture that holds each player and coach accountable. Add in the tactical changes made throughout the offseason, and the Spartans are (potentially) on their way to finishing with at least a .500 record.
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Jared Feinberg, a native of western North Carolina, has written about NFL football for nearly a decade. He has contributed to several national outlets and is now part of our On SI team as an NFL team reporter. Jared graduated from UNC Asheville with a bachelor's degree in mass communications and later pursued his master's degree at UNC Charlotte. You can follow Jared Feinberg on Twitter at @JRodNFLDraft