Michigan State Spartans prepare for 2026 football season under Pat Fitzgerald
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 18, 2026, 5:24 PM
Last updated Aug 18, 2026
Michigan State Spartans gear up for the 2026 college football season under new head coach Pat Fitzgerald. The team looks to rebuild following a challenging previous season, with sophomore quarterback Alessio Milivojevic and dual-threat transfer Cam Fancher competing for the starting role. Key transfers aim to strengthen the offensive and defensive lines, while the receiving corps also undergoes significant changes. Fitzgerald's return to coaching follows his firing from Northwestern amid a hazing controversy. The Spartans are expected to play hard but may struggle against stronger opponents this season.
- •Aidan Chiles tackles for Michigan State against Nebraska on October 4, 2025.
- •Alessio Milivojevic threw for 1,267 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.
- •Transfers Cam Edwards and Jaziun Patterson bolster the Spartans' running back position.
- •Defensive coordinator Joe Rossi retains a track record from his previous tenure at Minnesota.
- •Senior linebacker Jordan Hall led the team with 88 tackles last season.
- 6:00 PMYahoo Sports — Podcast: Michigan Football 2026 Season Preview, Part 4
- 5:24 PMYahoo Sports — Michigan State Spartans 2026 Football Preview
"Pat Fitzgerald’s Northwestern teams rarely, if ever, out-talented their Power Five opponents. Didn’t matter; they still won. How Fitzgerald’s teams did that is by outsmarting and outplaying them much of the time. Not always, mind you. Remember in 2021 when Nebraska walloped Northwestern 56-3 in Lincoln, only for Fitzgerald to get revenge in Ireland the […]
"Today on Out of the Blue, Jared and Andrew finish their 2026 Michigan Football preview with the final three opponents (Oregon, UCLA, Ohio State) and wrap discussing the roster:
Sources
External links- Yahoo SportsAug 18, 2026, 6:00 PMPodcast: Michigan Football 2026 Season Preview, Part 4
Today on Out of the Blue, Jared and Andrew finish their 2026 Michigan Football preview with the final three opponents (Oregon, UCLA, Ohio State) and wrap discussing the roster:
- Yahoo SportsAug 18, 2026, 5:24 PMMichigan State Spartans 2026 Football Preview
Pat Fitzgerald’s Northwestern teams rarely, if ever, out-talented their Power Five opponents. Didn’t matter; they still won. How Fitzgerald’s teams did that is by outsmarting and outplaying them much of the time. Not always, mind you. Remember in 2021 when Nebraska walloped Northwestern 56-3 in Lincoln, only for Fitzgerald to get revenge in Ireland the […]
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