si
Entering the season, Michigan State's primary worry was a shortage of playmakers on the roster. That concern has only intensified after a 31-3 drubbing on the road against Wisconsin. The Spartans have now been outscored 89-26 in their three matchups with Power Four teams, losing each by a margin of at least three possessions.
"It sucks to get your ass kicked," head coach Pat Fitzgerald said postgame. "That's what you take from it. So do something about it. Right? Do something about it. That's what I take from this game. You get your ass kicked; there's nothing else. Leave it here, walk out, and get ready to go back to work on Monday."
Michigan State played without its two best players: running back Cam Edwards (out for the season) and linebacker Jordan Hall. However, those absences alone cannot account for a 28-point margin. The Badgers, who lack the flash of even Nebraska, controlled every facet of the game. MSU's roster simply isn't competitive enough, and significant changes are needed.
Roster Outlook Moving Forward
The Spartans' 2026 roster featured 62 new players, including 32 transfers. Fitzgerald has indicated he doesn't plan to rely as heavily on the transfer portal in future years, but he may need to reconsider. MSU's portal activity this offseason will be telling, revealing both Fitzgerald's roster-building philosophy and the resources at his disposal. The Spartans have 13 starters whose eligibility expires after 2026 (including Edwards, who might receive a waiver), and Michigan State must find portal players superior to many current ones. Few players with remaining eligibility should feel secure in their roles. If Edwards gets a medical waiver, most would welcome him back. Tight end Jayden Savoury is likely the only offensive player on that list. The defensive list is longer, including Jordan Hall, Brady Pretzlaff, Eli Coenen, and Tyran Chappell. Even then, Hall and Coenen appear to be potential NFL prospects. Everyone else eligible for 2027 should feel they're playing for their jobs, including quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, who was pedestrian again on Saturday. That's the reality of the sport today.
Fitzgerald will get at least three years due to the hefty buyout MSU is paying Jonathan Smith, but every coach faces an accelerated timeline, as Fitzgerald has acknowledged. The list of schools MSU pulls players from could also become more Power Four-heavy. About 40% of the Spartans' portal class last winter came from P4 programs, and only six of the 32 had serious Power Four starting experience. In hindsight, the class was filled with decent but hardly elite Group of Five or FCS players. Fitzgerald said they valued production over potential in the portal, but the actual Power Four production MSU added was very limited. It felt especially puzzling at receiver, where the Spartans took a pair of Power Four retreads in Fredrick Moore (Michigan) and KK Smith (Notre Dame). Moore has been an unimpressive starter, and Smith has barely played. Receiver, as a whole, has been a major weakness. Michigan State just doesn't have the talent to compete with slightly above-average Big Ten teams like Wisconsin. The Badgers are improved from last season, but they probably shouldn't beat you by 28 points, even in Year 1 of a rebuild.
Transfer portal conversations begin long before the portal officially opens. It's easier said than done, but MSU will soon have difficult conversations with players about their roles, because what it assembled via the portal in Year 1 hasn't been nearly good enough.
What's the Fix?
It's not what many want to hear right now, but patience must be part of the solution. MSU accepted the possibility of a longer rebuild when it hired Fitzgerald, who didn't have a staff or a slew of players to bring with him. There was hope this Michigan State team could be better than recent versions, but that may not be the case right now. Even so, Fitzgerald deserves time to assemble his team and program. It also sounds juvenile and oversimplified, but sometimes it comes down to money. It's a simple reality that Michigan State must overpay for good players now. That's what happens after (presumably) five losing seasons in a row. It's a transactional sport now, but players still generally want to go where they can win. Part of the reason Wisconsin is better this year is that it increased its investment in the roster instead of firing Luke Fickell. The Spartans' NIL efforts were ranked in the bottom half of the Big Ten by The Athletic a few weeks ago. There are successful programs, such as Iowa, reportedly spending less, but those programs have been much more stable than MSU over the last half-decade. Trying to start up a copycat Mark Dantonio and/or Kirk Ferentz program just isn't going to work these days. Elements from each coach can be used in Fitzgerald's vision for Michigan State, but it's hard to see the Spartans being where they need to be next season if they don't bring in at least 25 transfers this coming offseason. The quantity of transfers doesn't necessarily need to go up, but the quality generally does.
A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons. Follow jacobcotsonika.