Why Cam Edwards Could Be Spartans' Shining Light in 2026
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The Michigan State Spartans were once one of the most reputable programs in college football, maintaining their status as yearly contenders in the Big Ten for either a Rose Bowl appearance, a New Year's Six game, or the College Football Playoff toward the end of Mark Dantonio's historic tenure.
In 2026, the Spartans are only hoping to sniff a bowl game. Improvements have been made along the offensive line and defensive trenches, with head coach Pat Fitzgerald serving as a key catalyst for an old-school mentality and a strengthened culture that delivered great seasons for Northwestern from the late 2000s to the early 2020s.
This offseason, Fitzgerald landed his crown jewel of the transfer class in UConn running back Cam Edwards, who is not only the new focal point for the Spartans' offense but the key to any glimmer of a shining light at the end of the tunnel for 2026 in East Lansing.
Edwards Is Michigan State Football's Most Important Player
Some will argue for quarterback Alessio Milivojevic as the most important piece to the Spartans' football triumphs in 2026, which is fine. However, every move or transfer addition the program made this offseason suggests otherwise; they should want to run the football at will during points of the season, and why not lean into the redshirt senior who ran for 1,226 yards and 12 touchdowns, with over half of those yards coming after contact (763, according to Pro Football Focus)?
Michigan State's path to wins this season is through Edwards and the rest of the backfield, which will then open up the passing game for Milivojevic. I took a brief look at Edwards' game film, and he fits perfectly with what I believe the Spartans will be under offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan: zone-blocking concepts where he can one-cut or slice and dice through the traffic, along with a mixture of gap concepts such as wham, trap, or pin-pull.
The Spartans Can Win Games Because of Edwards
Edwards' abilities as a runner and his football intelligence allow him to play in multiple blocking systems, which could lead the Spartans to a handful of wins. Games against Notre Dame and Oregon will likely feature a heavy dose of the run game, where Michigan State hopes to either scare or upset both opponents, who are National Championship contenders.
I never thought a running back could save Spartans football. Edwards can, setting the tone not just this fall but for future seasons after his collegiate career as he likely ventures to the NFL next offseason.
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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