Michigan State Spartans Writers’ 2026 Season Projections
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We’ve broken down the roster. We’ve talked ourselves into breakout players. We’ve stared at the schedule long enough to convince ourselves that a few losses might actually be wins. Now it’s time to put some predictions on the record.
The Pat Fitzgerald era is about to officially begin in East Lansing, and there might not be a team in the Big Ten with a wider range of possible outcomes than Michigan State. There are new faces all over the roster, plenty of questions still waiting to be answered, and just enough reasons for optimism to make this dangerous.
So how many games will MSU win? Can the Spartans get back to a bowl? Can Cam Edwards transform the running game? And, most importantly, does anyone around here actually think MSU is beating michigan?
To answer those questions and plenty more, Mike, Steve, Robbie, Darin, and O are putting their predictions on the record for the 2026 season. Some of these might look brilliant by December. Others…well, we’ll pretend those never happened.
And if anyone wants to take a look back at last year’s predictions and see who nailed it and who was way off, you can find the 2025 TOC Writers’ Season Projections here.
Let’s get to it.
1. What will MSU’s regular-season record be?
M: 6-6
S: 5-7
R: 5-7
D: 8-4
O: 6-6
2. Will MSU go to a bowl game?
M: Yes
S: No
R: No
D: Yes
O: Yes
3. Will MSU beat UM?
M: I just don’t see a win this year, but I do think it will be a real battle all the way to the end.
S: No.
R: All I can ask is that they compete in that game, and Fitz shows an understanding of the rivalry. I don’t expect them to win in Year 1 of Fitz, but I’ll start expecting it next year.
D: Probably not unless we get a crazy weather game with a ton of snow or heavy rain that turns the field into a mess. My hot take is Bryce “Underwhelm” loses his starting job before this game. By then, Michigan’s QB1 will be either Lloyd Carr’s grandson or the third-most famous member of the Herbstreit family, behind his dad and the golden retriever from College GameDay.
O: I am actually going to swallow my pride this year and say MSU loses to um. But we will see that elusive heartbeat that was missing the last two years.
4. Will Alessio Milivojevic pass for over/under 3,000 yards? (2025 team total: 2,672)
M: I think he comes up a bit short. Who is going to catch the ball? Playmakers can certainly emerge, but there is little returning production and the two P4 transfers that came in don’t add much in terms of proven production. I think Alessio will play well but, if there is a strength to the MSU offense, it will lie with the offensive line and run game.
S: Under. Protection is TBD and options to throw to are pretty underwhelming.
R: That’s 250 yards per game over 12 games, and I’m not convinced that’ll happen. I think the offense leans on Cam Edwards as the pass catchers will need to provide production we’ve yet to see from them so far.
D: Under. The pass catchers in this offense are still pretty unproven, and I think we see a much more balanced attack this year. Instead of trying to force-feed Nick Marsh on a go ball every other play, Alessio will spread it around and take what the defense gives him. Ball control, a steady run game, taking the checkdowns, and having a decent kicker has been a recipe for success in the past and could be one again for this squad.
O: I’m going with the over. In his four starts at the end of 2025, Milivojevic averaged 246.5 YPG. Over a 12-game season, that comes to 2,958 yards. So we really just need to see a small amount of improvement to get him there.
5. Will MSU have a running back rush for over 750 yards? (2025 high: 520)
M: Yes. Someone is going to have to. Please see above regarding the passing game.
S: Yes, but only if the line blocks and perhaps out of necessity. I agree with Edwards being the guy.
R: Yes. Cam Edwards will have the best running back season since Kenneth Walker III.
D: Big-time over on this one. Coach Fitz recently joked about wanting to put Cam Edwards in bubble wrap, so I think he already knows he has something special. Edwards has proven he can carry the load, and even with a deep running back room, 750 yards feels way too low. Give me Cam to cruise past that mark.
O: I’m taking the over here again. Last year, we never truly identified an RB1. This year, it seems like we should have that in Cam Edwards, so give me the transfer to get over this mark.
6. Will MSU rush for over 2,000 yards as a team? (2025: 1,474; nine Big Ten teams went over 2,000 yards in 2025)
M: I think the O-line (please, it has to be) and run game will be better, but going from 1,474 to over 2,000 just seems like a huge jump. I think they could come close though. If MSU does run it for 2,000 and Alessio passes for 3,000, that’s an average of 416 total yards per game over 12 games — a big improvement from last year’s 345.
S: I’m going no here too. For the same reason as earlier, too much unknown to go over. The line…what will it be?
R: Yes, because Cam Edwards will have 1,400 yards on his own.
D: Yes. There’s a ton of depth in this running back room and everyone has a role they can thrive in. Edwards is the headliner, Patterson is the between-the-tackles guy who always seems to fall forward, Tullis is the short-yardage hammer, and Parrish brings the speed and big-play ability. Give me the over.
O: This one was the hardest for me to decide. I think I am going under, but just barely. I’m predicting 1,980 (for my birth year).
7. Will MSU have a wide receiver catch for over 750 yards? (2025 high: 662)
M: It seems like the only guy with a real chance is McCray. And he caught 24 balls last year. I think some guys will emerge and Alessio spreads it around, but no one gets to 750.
S: No. McCray will be doubled because there is no other threat. Unless someone comes out of nowhere, I don’t see this happening.
R: No. There’s too much unknown in both the WR and TE rooms. If there’s a world where someone does reach 750 receiving yards, they’ll solidify themselves as WR1 moving forward.
D: I’m going under on this one. I think MSU will spread the ball around more efficiently this year and find the open man. Between the wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs getting involved in the screen game, there are more mouths to feed than the Dairy Store on a football Saturday. I expect the passing game to improve, just with the production spread all over the field.
O: I’ll say no on this one. No home run threat that I can see. Probably going to look like last year’s RB totals.
8. Which freshman, true or redshirt, is most likely to contribute on offense in 2026?
M: Samson Gash. It will also be interesting to see if redshirt RB Jace Clarizio gets on the field this year.
S: I will make Charles Taplin my choice. His speed could have him in for some reverses, and even in the return game.
R: Samson Gash. The WR room is too thin and he’s too talented to not see the field.
D: Let’s go with someone who hasn’t been mentioned much this offseason in redshirt freshman wide receiver Charles Taplin. Courtney Hawkins called him one of the fastest guys on the team while praising his quickness, route running, and growth physically and mentally. Taplin has track speed to back it up and appears to be pushing for a starting role. As a bonus, he’s majoring in Experience Architecture, which might be the coolest major on the roster.
O: Give me WR Samson Gash.
9. Who will be MSU’s leading tackler?
M: Jordan Hall
S: Jordan Hall
R: Future NFL LB Jordan Hall.
D: Give me the only true senior left from MSU’s 2023 recruiting class who has stuck it out through all the chaos. Three head coaches, plenty of chances to leave, and he’s still a Spartan. Jordan Hall.
O: Easy. Jordan Hall will be the back-to-back tackle champ.
10. Who will lead MSU in interceptions?
M: I have no idea. Nikai Martinez. I think the Spartans had just four picks total in 2025. That’s going to have to improve a lot this year.
S: Tre Bell, but I don’t see many interceptions overall from the squad.
R: Nikai Martinez, as I predict a bounce-back year for Nikai in the Green and White.
D: Maine holds a special place in my heart after spending several years up there busting up granite to help build and maintain sections of the Appalachian Trail. So I’m naturally a little biased toward Maine transfer Devin Vaught. But there are plenty of football reasons to like him, too. He’s shown he can be a playmaker on the back end, including a pick-six against Georgia Southern that he took 76 yards to the house. Give me Vaught to lead MSU in interceptions this season.
O: I think the smart money has to be on Tre Bell. But I’m not a smart man, so I am going to throw a dart here and say Michael Richard.
11. Who will be the Big Ten Champion?
M: Ohio State gets revenge on Indiana.
S: Oregon
R: It’s boring, but I’ll take Ohio State.
D: Potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 draft Dante Moore has his mental health in check and apparently the Nike money printer still has plenty of ink. Ducks fly together. Oregon.
O: I think we see a conference champion with an 8-1 Big Ten record this year. Even though Indiana has an easier slate (OSU at home, no Oregon), I am going with Ohio State (Oregon and UM at home).
12. Who will be the National Champion?
M: I think I’ve said Ohio State each time we’ve done this, so why change now?
S: Oregon
R: Still boring — Ohio State.
D: Notre Dame. They have more NFL sons than a Manning family reunion and are absolutely loaded with talent. I think this is finally the year they put it all together and win one for the Gipper.
O: This answer didn’t work out for me last year, but I am going back to it. Give me Texas. Hook ’em!
And there you have it. The staff might not agree on much, but there seems to be a consensus that Jordan Hall will make a whole lot of tackles, Cam Edwards is going to get plenty of work, and nobody is particularly excited about predicting a win in Ann Arbor.
Now it’s your turn. What say you? Drop your predictions in the comments and feel free to copy and paste the blank form below:
- What will MSU’s regular-season record be?
- Will MSU go to a bowl game?
- Will MSU beat UM?
- Will Alessio Milivojevic pass for over/under 3,000 yards? (2025 team total = 2,672)
- Will MSU have a running back rush for over 750 yards? (2025 high = 520)
- Will MSU rush for over 2,000 yards as a team? (2025 = 1,474; nine Big Ten teams went over 2,000 yards rushing in 2025)
- Will MSU have a wide receiver catch for over 750 yards? (2025 high = 662)
- Which freshman, true or redshirt, is most likely to contribute on offense in 2026?
- Who will be MSU’s leading tackler?
- Who will lead MSU in interceptions?
- Who will be the Big Ten champion?
- Who will be the National Champion?
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