Michigan State Spartans
Big Ten
0-0 (0-0 conf)
SP+ #82
Ratings
2025 final
- SP+
- -3.4 (#82)
- SP+ Offense
- 26.6
- SP+ Defense
- 28.7
- SRS
- -0.3
- FPI
- 0.8
- Elo
- 1409
- Talent
- 717
- Recruiting
- 214 (#45)
2026 Outlook
Projected wins
3.8p10 2.0 — p90 6.0
| Round | Prob | |
|---|---|---|
| Win conference | 0.0% | |
| Make CFP | 0.0% | |
| Quarterfinal | 0.0% | |
| Semifinal | 0.0% | |
| Natl. final | 0.0% | |
| Natl. champ | 0.0% |
Schedule
proj record 3.8–8.2
Schedule
10th
toughest of 136
Offenses faced
16th
toughest of 136
Defenses faced
5th
toughest of 136
Strength of schedule — how tough this team's opponents are, ranked 1 (hardest) to 136 (easiest) · by 2025 SP+.
| Wk | Opponent | SP+ | Score | Proj | Win% | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsToledo | +6 | 26-34 | -7.4 | 33% | — |
| 2 | vsEastern Michigan | -14.7 | 32-19 | +12.7 | 78% | — |
| 3 | @Notre Dame | +24.4 | 18-39 | -21.1 | 10% | — |
| 4 | vsNebraska | +6.2 | 25-30 | -5.0 | 38% | — |
| 5 | @Wisconsin | -4.4 | 23-28 | -4.9 | 38% | — |
| 6 | vsIllinois | +12.9 | 21-31 | -9.5 | 28% | — |
| 7 | vsNorthwestern | +5.8 | 22-27 | -5.4 | 37% | — |
| 8 | @UCLA | -8.7 | 24-27 | -2.2 | 45% | — |
| 10 | @Michigan | +12.4 | 17-37 | -20.4 | 11% | — |
| 11 | vsWashington | +18.4 | 19-34 | -14.1 | 20% | — |
| 12 | vsOregon | +25.9 | 14-42 | -28.1 | 4% | — |
| 13 | @Rutgers | +1 | 23-30 | -7.0 | 33% | — |
Quarterbacks · 2
2026 · 69
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 1st | Alessio Milivojevic | FR | 6'2" | 218 | — |
| QB | 2nd | Cam Fancher← UCF | SR | 6'2" | 200 | ★★★ |
Running Backs · 6
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FB | 1st | Jay Coyne | JR | 6'1" | 230 | — |
| RB | 1st | Cam Edwards← UConn | JR | 5'11" | 210 | ★★★ |
| RB | 2nd | Elijah Tau-Tolliver | SR | 6'1" | 211 | — |
| RB | 3rd | Kenneth Williams← Nebraska | SO | 5'9" | 190 | ★★★ |
| RB | 4th | Brandon Tullis | SO | 6'1" | 227 | ★★★ |
| RB | 5th | Jaziun Patterson← Iowa | JR | 5'10" | 210 | ★★★ |
Wide Receivers · 7
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 1st | Omari Kelly | SR | 6'0" | 188 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 2nd | Chrishon McCray | JR | 5'10" | 171 | ★★ |
| WR | 3rd | Rodney Bullard Jr. | SR | 6'0" | 186 | — |
| WR | 4th | KK Smith← Notre Dame | SO | 6'0" | 177 | ★★★ |
| WR | 5th | Bryson Williams | FR | 6'1" | 219 | — |
| WR | 6th | Charles Taplin | FR | 6'0" | 178 | ★★★ |
| WR | 7th | Fredrick Moore← Michigan | JR | 6'1" | 191 | ★★★ |
Tight Ends · 5
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE | 1st | Jack Velling | SR | 6'5" | 245 | — |
| TE | 2nd | Jayden Savoury | FR | 6'4" | 240 | — |
| TE | 3rd | Brennan Parachek | JR | 6'5" | 251 | ★★★★ |
| TE | 4th | Kai Rios | JR | 6'6" | 263 | — |
| TE | — | Carson Gulker← Ferris State | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Offensive Line · 3
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OL | — | Rakeem Johnson | FR | 6'3" | 294 | ★★★ |
| OT | — | Robert Wright Jr.← Georgia Southern | SO | 6'4" | 295 | ★★★ |
| OT | — | Ben Murawski← UConn | JR | 6'7" | 335 | ★★★ |
Defensive Line · 14
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL | 1st | Quindarius Dunnigan | SR | 6'4" | 257 | ★★ |
| DL | 2nd | Grady Kelly | SR | 6'2" | 295 | ★★★ |
| DL | 3rd | Jalen Satchell | SR | 6'1" | 293 | ★★★ |
| DL | 4th | Ru'Quan Buckley | SR | 6'5" | 325 | — |
| DL | 5th | Ben Roberts | JR | 6'2" | 335 | — |
| DL | 6th | Eli Coenen← Illinois | SO | 6'7" | 275 | ★★★ |
| DL | 7th | Kekai Burnett | FR | 6'2" | 255 | ★★★ |
| DL | 8th | Carlos Hazelwood← Toledo | FR | 6'4" | 270 | ★★★ |
| DL | 9th | Derrick Simmons | FR | 6'3" | 297 | ★★★★ |
| EDGE | 1st | Isaac Smith | SR | 6'6" | 253 | — |
| EDGE | 2nd | Cam Williams | SR | 6'5" | 253 | — |
| EDGE | 3rd | Anelu Lafaele | FR | 6'2" | 239 | ★★★ |
| EDGE | — | Trey Lisle← Southeast Missouri State | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| EDGE | — | Keahnist Thompson← Weber State | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Linebackers · 8
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | 1st | Jordan Hall | JR | 6'3" | 238 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 2nd | Dion Crawford← Buffalo | JR | 6'1" | 232 | ★★★ |
| LB | 3rd | Wayne Matthews III | SR | 6'2" | 230 | ★★★ |
| LB | 4th | Kenny Soares Jr.← NC State | SR | 6'2" | 231 | ★★★ |
| LB | 5th | Semaj Bridgeman | SO | 6'2" | 231 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 6th | Brady Pretzlaff | FR | 6'3" | 237 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 7th | Sam Edwards | SR | 6'1" | 227 | — |
| LB | 8th | Caleb Wheatland← Auburn | SR | 6'1" | 231 | ★★★ |
Defensive Backs · 19
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | 1st | Tre Bell← Iowa State | JR | 6'2" | 205 | ★★★ |
| CB | 2nd | Charles Brantley← Miami | SR | 6'0" | 170 | ★★★ |
| CB | — | Tyran Chappell← Houston Christian | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| DB | 1st | Malik Spencer | SR | 6'1" | 191 | ★★★ |
| DB | 2nd | Malcolm Bell | SR | 6'2" | 188 | ★★★ |
| DB | 3rd | Nikai Martinez | SR | 5'11" | 195 | ★★★★ |
| DB | 4th | Joshua Eaton | SR | 6'1" | 189 | — |
| DB | 5th | Aveon Grose | JR | 5'11" | 195 | ★★★ |
| DB | 6th | Dontavius Nash | SR | 6'2" | 186 | ★★★★ |
| DB | 7th | Devynn Cromwell | SR | 6'0" | 200 | — |
| DB | 8th | Khalil Majeed | SR | 5'11" | 197 | — |
| DB | 9th | Caleb Gash | SO | 6'0" | 189 | — |
| DB | 10th | Keshawn Williams | FR | 6'0" | 182 | ★★★ |
| DB | 11th | Dorian Davis | JR | 6'0" | 198 | — |
| DB | 12th | Anthony Pinnace III | JR | 6'0" | 160 | — |
| DB | 13th | Deuce Edwards | FR | 6'0" | 190 | — |
| S | 1st | Michael Richard← Louisiana Tech | JR | 5'11" | 178 | ★★★ |
| S | — | Cam Stodghill← Albany | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| S | — | Devin Vaught← Maine | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Special Teams · 5
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K | 1st | Liam Boyd← Charlotte | JR | 6'1" | 200 | — |
| LS | — | Nick Duzansky← Oregon | SO | 6'4" | 207 | — |
| P | 1st | Rhys Dakin← Iowa | SO | 6'4" | 223 | ★★★ |
| P | — | Alex Weeks← Northern Arizona | — | — | — | — |
| PK | — | Blake Sislo | SR | 6'0" | 185 | — |
Projected Season
2026 · win prob / game
Exp. Wins
3.8
Exp. Losses
8.2
Toss-ups
1
bars: model win probabilityfav / toss-up / dog
2025 · pct vs FBS
SP+ Off
26.649
Off PPA
+0.1335
Pass PPA
+0.2450
Rush PPA
+0.0735
Success
42%48
Explosive
1.2029
PlayerMedian (50th)percentile vs league
Advanced
2025 · opponent-adjusted PPA / play
| Split | Offense | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | +0.13 | +0.20 |
| Passing | +0.24 | +0.30 |
| Rushing | +0.07 | +0.16 |
| 1st Down | +0.00 | +0.07 |
| 2nd Down | +0.19 | +0.21 |
| 3rd Down | +0.38 | +0.52 |
Scoring Trend
2025 · pts/game
PPG For
24.6
PPG Against
29.9
Differential
-5.3
— Points for— Points against
dots: W / L2025
- Overall
- 4-8
- Home
- 3-3
- Away
- 0-5
- Neutral
- 1-0
- Conference
- 1-8
- Non-Conference
- 3-0
- One-Score (≤8)
- 1-2
- Avg Margin
- -5.3
Situational Splits
2025 · record · pts
| Split | Record | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | |||
| Home | 3-3 | 24.8 | 27.8 |
| Away | 0-5 | 21.6 | 32.8 |
| Neutral | 1-0 | 38.0 | 28.0 |
| Competition | |||
| vs Ranked (SP+ 25) | 0-5 | 18.2 | 32.4 |
| Conference | 1-8 | 21.0 | 32.1 |
| Non-conference | 3-0 | 35.3 | 23.3 |
Season History · last 12
1 AP top-10 · 6 postseason
| Season | Record | Conf | SP+ | AP | Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4-8 | 1-8 | #82 | — | — |
| 2024 | 5-7 | 3-6 | #90 | — | — |
| 2023 | 4-8 | 2-7 | #87 | — | — |
| 2022 | 5-7 | 3-6 | #67 | #11 | — |
| 2021 | 10-2 | 7-2 | #28 | #5 | 1-0 |
| 2020 | 2-5 | 2-5 | #80 | — | — |
| 2019 | 6-6 | 4-5 | #41 | — | 1-0 |
| 2018 | 7-5 | 5-4 | #30 | — | 0-1 |
| 2017 | 9-3 | 7-2 | #23 | — | 1-0 |
| 2016 | 3-9 | 1-8 | #50 | — | — |
| 2015 | 12-1 | 8-1 | #20 | — | 0-1 |
| 2014 | 10-2 | 7-1 | #7 | — | 1-0 |
Recent Form · last 5
1-4 SU · 4-1 ATS · O2/U3
Betting Profile
2025 · 12 w/ line
| Straight up | 4-8 |
| ATS | 7-558% |
| Over / Under | 7-5 O-U |
| — ATS splits — | |
| As favorite | 1-4 |
| As underdog | 6-1 |
| Home | 1-5 |
| Away | 5-0 |
vs closing line · splits show cover–no cover
Recruiting Classes
avg #35 · 51 blue-chip
■ 5★■ 4★■ 3★152 rated signees
| Class | Natl | Pts | 5★ | 4★ | 3★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | #45 | 214 | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| 2025 | #57 | 196 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| 2024 | #42 | 204 | 0 | 3 | 12 |
| 2023 | #24 | 225 | 0 | 7 | 5 |
| 2022 | #24 | 222 | 0 | 6 | 5 |
| 2021 | #43 | 191 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| 2020 | #43 | 193 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 2019 | #32 | 215 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| 2018 | #31 | 212 | 0 | 3 | 19 |
| 2017 | #36 | 204 | 0 | 4 | 11 |
247Sports composite · class rank vs all FBS
Roster Talent
2026
Portal in 28net -18Out 46
Portal avg stars (in / out)3.0 / 3.0
Notable Portal Moves
| ▲ | Trey Lisle | EDGE | 3★ | ← Southeast Missouri State |
| ▲ | Tre Bell | CB | 3★ | ← Iowa State |
| ▲ | Ben Murawski | OT | 3★ | ← UConn |
| ▲ | Charles Brantley | CB | 3★ | ← Miami |
| ▼ | Nick Marsh | WR | 4★ | → Indiana |
| ▼ | Aidan Chiles | QB | 4★ | → Northwestern |
| ▼ | Alante Brown | WR | 4★ | → Memphis |
| ▼ | Semaj Bridgeman | LB | 4★ | → — |
returning PPA · portal · talent composite · 2026
Injury Report · 0
No injuries reported.
Team News
20 items
- Michigan State Football Weekly Positional Breakdown: Wide ReceiversBeyond raw numbers and transfer portal losses, a new-look Spartan receiving corps relies on chemistry and breakout freshmen to defy low expectations and redefine the offense's potential.MSU1d
- Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi makes bold claim comparing ACC to Big TenIn a recent interview, former Michigan State defensive coordinator and current Pitt coach Patt Narduzzi claimed the ACC is better than the Big Ten.MSU2d
- MSU hoops reportedly showing interest in quickly rising, elite SF prospectMichigan State basketball has reportedly started to show interest in a high-level, near five-star prospect in the 2027 classMSU2d
- ACC's Jim Phillips says regional scheduling for non-football sports is easier said than doneWill the NCAA go to regional scheduling for non-football sports? It's an idea Charlie Baker floated, but the ACC's Jim Phillips wonders how to do it.
- 2026 Northwestern Football Know Your Opponent: Michigan State SpartansThe Wildcats will be up against a familiar face.MSU3d
- 50 Days Until Michigan State University Football!!!!!Let the countdown begin!MSU4d
- Michigan State Has the 15th-Oldest Team in College Football: Can Experience Fuel a Turnaround?Pat Fitzgerald’s roster overhaul prioritizes veteran transfers to stabilize a program in transition. After a dismal one-win conference season, East Lansing’s elder statesmen aim to replicate Indiana's championship blueprint.MSU5d
- Michigan State names Jon Palumbo as interim athletic directorMichigan State University has bounced back from potentially losing its school president and athletic director by retaining Kevin M. Guskiewicz to lead the school and appointing Jon Palumbo as interim athletic director.MSU10d
- Big 12 Media Day kicks off + Auburn and Alabama unite + Michigan State keeps Kevin GuskiewiczAndy Staples, Ross Dellenger and Steven Godfrey break down the start of Big 12 Media Day, Auburn and Alabama unite against congress and Michigan State retains University President Kevin Guskiewicz.MSU13d
- Michigan State will reportedly retain President Kevin Guskiewicz over ClemsonMichigan State will retain Pedisdent Kevin Guskiewicz.MSU14d
- When will Michigan State football be at Big Ten Media Days?See when Michigan State football will be at Big Ten Media Days later this monthMSU15d
- NCAA president Charlie Baker floats regional approach to non-football sportsConference realignment has turned college athletics into a much more national endeavor than it ever was previously. The Big Ten stretches from Southern California to New Jersey. The ACC includes a pair of teams on the Pacific coast. And the Big 12 has members located in both the deserts of the Southwest and the mountains…
- Alessio Milivojevic Is Being Severely Overlooked — Can he be a Top-Five Quarterback in the Big TenAfter sparking a late-season offensive surge, Michigan State’s hidden gem now pairs with Pat Fitzgerald to silence doubters and ignite a daring climb up the conference rankings.
- Way Too Early Wisconsin football Opponent Preview: Michigan StateIn the Big Ten home-opener for Wisconsin, it will host Michigan State, which is now led by former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald. Following the Mel TucMSU18d
- Oregon lands 4-star TE over Miami, Michigan, LSU, Michigan StateOregon football pulled out a huge recruiting win to close out the final Sunday of June. This time beating Miami, LSU and others.MSU22d
- 4-star TE Anthony Cartwright III to commit live with Rivals this weekendDetroit Country Day four-star tight end Anthony Cartwright III will indeed make his commitment this Sunday, June 28. He’ll announce his decision live on the Rivals YouTube channel. The 6-foot-4.5, 235-pounder has had his sights set on a summer pledge. This weekend, he’ll choose between five finalists: LSU, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State and Oregon. Cartwright is the […]MSU25d
- Michigan State TE commit makes insane one-handed highlight grabWatch Michigan State TE commit Ryan Pankey make an insane one-handed highlight grab.MSU26d
- MSU football reveals who'll be attending Big Ten Media Days this yearSee which three players will be representing Michigan State football at this year's Big Ten Media Days event next monthMSU26d
- MSU football coach ranked as best in his field in Big TenA Michigan State football coach is considered one of the best in his fieldMSU27d
- Popular predictive model has Spartans missing bowl game again in 2026A popular college football predictive algorithm has Michigan State struggling again this seasonMSU28d