The hire itself is the story
Fitzgerald's return to coaching comes directly out of the Northwestern hazing scandal that ended his prior tenure — worth being aware of as a program-level storyline independent of on-field performance.
BIG TEN FOOTBALL COMPANION GUIDE • ALPHABETICAL 6 OF 18
MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS
2026 Season Snapshot • East Lansing, Michigan
4-8 (1-8 Big Ten)
B1G
2026 Schedule
Live schedule, lines and results for Michigan State.
Loading schedule…
HEAD COACH
HANDICAPPING PROFILEHEAD COACH
Pat Fitzgerald — 1st season at Michigan State
LIFETIME COACHING RECORD
110–101 (17 seasons, Northwestern)
Winningest coach in Northwestern history (two Big Ten West titles, 2018 Big Ten Coach of the Year) before being fired in 2023 amid a hazing and abuse scandal involving allegations of sexual abuse and racial discrimination within the program. Fitzgerald denied wrongdoing and sued Northwestern for $130M; the parties reached an undisclosed settlement in August 2025. Hasn't coached a game since 2022. Hired by new MSU AD J Batt in December 2025.
MICHIGAN STATE ATS RECORD
No single published career ATS figure
Michigan State fired Jonathan Smith on Nov. 30, 2025 after back-to-back losing seasons (5-7 in 2024, 4-8/1-8 Big Ten in 2025) — a stunning outcome given Smith had signed a 7-year, $52.85M deal just two years earlier. MSU lost 8 of its final 9 games in 2025.
HEAD COACH SALARY (2026)
$5.0M
TEAM NIL VALUATION (EST.)
Not disclosed
PRIMARY NIL COLLECTIVE
Not publicly named
Coach salary per The State News (FOIA'd 5-yr, $30M contract; $4M base + $1M supplemental in Year 1). Separately, MSU is paying fired coach Jonathan Smith a $32.5M buyout through 2031 — meaning the program is funding two head coaches' salaries simultaneously in 2026.
HANDICAPPING NOTES
- The hire itself is the story: Fitzgerald's return to coaching comes directly out of the Northwestern hazing scandal that ended his prior tenure — worth being aware of as a program-level storyline independent of on-field performance.
- MSU is paying for two head coaches at once: A $32.5M buyout to Jonathan Smith runs through 2031 on top of Fitzgerald's new $30M deal — among the most expensive coaching transitions in the sport this cycle.
- Total program reset at the skill positions: Starting QB Aidan Chiles (transferred to Northwestern) and leading rusher Makhi Frazier (transferred to Ole Miss) both left immediately after the coaching change — real roster continuity risk for Year 1.
COORDINATORS & SCHEME
OFFENSE / DEFENSEOFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Nick Sheridan — 1st season • Multiple
Previously co-OC/QB coach at Alabama. Inherits Alessio Milivojevic, who Fitzgerald has already publicly named the Week 1 starter after a promising 4- game stretch to close 2025 (311 yards in his first start, a 4-TD game vs. Maryland).
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Joe Rossi — 3rd season (retained) • Multiple 4-2-5
The lone major holdover from the Smith staff, extended through 2027 in August 2025 and paid $1.7M — a rare thread of continuity for a program that otherwise turned over almost everything else.
2025 SEASON RECAP
RECORD & VENUE NOTES2025 RECORD
4–8 (1–8 Big Ten)
Lost 8 of the final 9 games of the season, prompting Smith's Nov. 30 firing. Milivojevic's strong 4-game finish (including MSU's only Big Ten win, over Maryland) is the closest thing to positive momentum heading into 2026.
HOME FIELD
Spartan Stadium
Natural grass, East Lansing. A program trying to rebuild both its on-field product and its off-field stability at the same time — Fitzgerald's introductory press conference drew immediate national attention given his Northwestern history.
PRIMARY SKILL PLAYERS
2026 PROJECTED STARTERS| SLOT | PLAYER | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB1 | Alessio Milivojevic | Soph | ★★★★★ | Named the Week 1 starter by Fitzgerald based on a strong 4-game finish to 2025 (311 yards in his first career start at Minnesota; 4 TD passes in the regular-season finale vs. Maryland). |
| RB1 | Cam Edwards | — | ★★★★★ | TOP TRANSFER UConn transfer coming off a 1,240-yard, 15-TD season; the headline addition of a running back room now considered a team strength after Makhi Frazier's departure. |
| WR1 | Chrishon McCray | — | ★★★★★ | Started in 2025 and has quickly become Milivojevic's go-to target this spring; the clear favorite to lead MSU in receiving in 2026 after Nick Marsh's transfer to Indiana. |
| WR2 | Marvis Parrish | — | ★★★★★ | Western Kentucky transfer (576 rush yds, 36 rec as a true freshman); an underrated dual-purpose portal addition despite being ranked outside the portal's top-190 backs by On3. |
QB1Alessio MilivojevicSoph★★★★★
Named the Week 1 starter by Fitzgerald based on a strong 4-game finish to 2025 (311 yards in his first career start at Minnesota; 4 TD passes in the regular-season finale vs. Maryland).
RB1Cam Edwards—★★★★★
TOP TRANSFER
UConn transfer coming off a 1,240-yard, 15-TD season; the headline addition of a running back room now considered a team strength after Makhi Frazier's departure.
WR1Chrishon McCray—★★★★★
Started in 2025 and has quickly become Milivojevic's go-to target this spring; the clear favorite to lead MSU in receiving in 2026 after Nick Marsh's transfer to Indiana.
WR2Marvis Parrish—★★★★★
Western Kentucky transfer (576 rush yds, 36 rec as a true freshman); an underrated dual-purpose portal addition despite being ranked outside the portal's top-190 backs by On3.
OFFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line under new staff | OL | — | ★★★★★ | New OL coach Jim Michalczik ($1M) inherits a unit fans and staff hope is "hopefully improved" after protection issues in 2025; specific projected starters still being sorted through fall camp. |
Line under new staffOL—★★★★★
New OL coach Jim Michalczik ($1M) inherits a unit fans and staff hope is "hopefully improved" after protection issues in 2025; specific projected starters still being sorted through fall camp.
HANDICAPPING NOTE — O-LINE
- A new position coach and a new offensive system installing simultaneously is real variance — treat MSU's O-line as unproven until it shows up on tape.
DEFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Roberts | DT | One of just three returning starters on the entire defense (with LB Jordan Hall and S Nikai Martinez); DC Joe Rossi's retained scheme means less installation risk here than almost anywhere else on the team. |
Ben RobertsDT
One of just three returning starters on the entire defense (with LB Jordan Hall and S Nikai Martinez); DC Joe Rossi's retained scheme means less installation risk here than almost anywhere else on the team.
LINEBACKERS
2026 PROJECTED- Jordan Hall returns at middle linebacker as one of only three returning starters on the entire defense, playing in Joe Rossi's retained system — the single biggest source of scheme continuity for a program that changed almost everything else this offseason.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Brantley | CB | ★★★★★ | Returns to East Lansing after a year at Miami; was "phenomenal" for MSU in 2024 per beat writers and headlines a corner room that should be a strength if it stays healthy. |
| Tre Bell | CB | ★★★★★ | Iowa State transfer who followed new CB coach Hank Poteat, who built a No. 1-ranked pass defense at Iowa State in 2024; a "solid starter" for the Cyclones in 2025. |
| Nikai Martinez | S | ★★★★★ | One of just three returning starters on the entire defense; anchors the safety spot after battling injuries throughout spring. |
Charles BrantleyCB★★★★★
Returns to East Lansing after a year at Miami; was "phenomenal" for MSU in 2024 per beat writers and headlines a corner room that should be a strength if it stays healthy.
Tre BellCB★★★★★
Iowa State transfer who followed new CB coach Hank Poteat, who built a No. 1-ranked pass defense at Iowa State in 2024; a "solid starter" for the Cyclones in 2025.
Nikai MartinezS★★★★★
One of just three returning starters on the entire defense; anchors the safety spot after battling injuries throughout spring.
SPECIAL TEAMS
KICKING, PUNTING & RETURN GAME- Overall: No major specialist storylines flagged for 2026. With so much of the offseason narrative consumed by the coaching change, special teams specifics were light in early reporting — confirm kicker/punter names closer to Week 1.
Betting profile — vs. the number
2025 ATS
7-5
58.3% cover rate — 25th of 82
2025 Straight up
4-8
Point differential -64
Scoring environment
54.5
Combined points per game — 31st highest of 82
Home / road ATS
1-5 · 5-0
Totals 7-5 O/U (3-3 home, 3-2 road)
Points scored / allowed
24.6 per game scored (57th) · 29.9 allowed (64th)
Margin & schedule
Margin of victory -5.3 (67th) · Strength of schedule +0.4
- Home / road: Home 1-5 ATS, road 5-0 ATS (neutral-site games excluded).
- Home / road: Totals 7-5 O/U — 3-3 at home, 3-2 on the road.
- Trend: 2025 ATS 7-5 (58.3% cover rate) across 12 games.
- Trend: Averaged 24.6 points and allowed 29.9, a 54.5 combined per-game scoring environment.
Power ratings — strength against the field
SRS power rating
-5.1
61st of 82 — projected points vs. a league-average team on a neutral field
Offensive SRS
+0.5
43rd of 82
Defensive SRS
-2.7
60th of 82
Points (margin of victory)
-5.3 · 67th of 82
Against the spread
7-5 (58.3%) · 25th of 82
Totals (combined PPG)
54.5 · 31st of 82
Computed from CollegeFootballData 2025 results and closing consensus lines.
Notes
Saved Just J research for Michigan State.
MSU is paying for two head coaches at once
A $32.5M buyout to Jonathan Smith runs through 2031 on top of Fitzgerald's new $30M deal — among the most expensive coaching transitions in the sport this cycle.
Quarterback
Total program reset at the skill positions
Starting QB Aidan Chiles (transferred to Northwestern) and leading rusher Makhi Frazier (transferred to Ole Miss) both left immediately after the coaching change — real roster continuity risk for Year 1.
Offensive Line
Offensive line outlook
A new position coach and a new offensive system installing simultaneously is real variance — treat MSU's O-line as unproven until it shows up on tape.
Notes are maintained in the Admin area — no code changes required.