East Lansing — The final whistle of Pat Fitzgerald’s first spring at Michigan State brought not a traditional spring game but a 100-snap showcase that ended with linebacker Jordan Hall spinning a wiffleball bat until he fell down, laughing, while thousands watched from the stands under an overcast sky.
It was the 15th and final practice of the spring, Fitzgerald’s version of the open-session send-off used by his two predecessors, and it served as both evaluation and invitation. Roughly a few thousand fans filled Spartan Stadium’s west-side sections 17-30, admitted free with digital tickets, to see the first full look at the 2026 Spartans under their new head coach. The event, branded the Spring Showcase and presented by the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, included photo ops with Sparty, Zeke V, and championship trophies, plus autograph lines that opened about 15 minutes after practice concluded and lasted an hour.
On the field, the focus shifted quickly to edge rush — a unit that has produced just three career sacks from its leading returning player and ranked among the Massive Ten’s weakest over the past two seasons. Fifth-year senior Kenny Soares Jr., a transfer from NC State who began his college career at Northwestern under Fitzgerald, emerged as the day’s standout. Though he doesn’t fit the prototypical image of a bendy, lightning-quick edge rusher, Soares flashed an impressive motor, collapsing the pocket repeatedly and harassing quarterbacks enough that, in live action, he likely would have recorded at least two sacks.
His performance addressed a glaring need. Michigan State’s pass rush has lacked consistent pressure for years, forcing the defense to rely on coverage schemes that can be exploited by patient, accurate quarterbacks. Soares, primarily an off-ball linebacker in the ACC last season, showed versatility and urgency — traits Fitzgerald values after coaching the former Wildcat at Northwestern. Anelu Lafaele, still returning from a fall injury that ended his season, also offered flashes of promise, suggesting the Spartans may finally be developing more than one credible edge threat.
Meanwhile, quarterback Alessio Milivojevic turned in a subdued but deliberate performance, completing short passes, avoiding risks, and managing the game with what Fitzgerald has nicknamed “Less” — a nod to Milivojevic’s lifelong tendency to simplify under pressure. The incumbent starter, who took over four games ago after Aidan Chiles’ departure under Jonathan Smith, threw more checkdowns than deep shots, made sound reads, and avoided turnovers outside of one underthrown pick to Charles Taplin II. He did, however, engineer a 67-yard touchdown drive via handoff to Kenneth Williams and nearly added a field goal with a 70-yard march highlighted by efficient short-to-intermediate throws.
Fitzgerald doubled down on his confidence in Milivojevic, noting that the coaching staff had reviewed his tape extensively, projected his growth, and committed to him as the starter despite the quiet spring line. “We went all in to have him be our starting quarterback,” Fitzgerald said, echoing the same conviction he showed when recruiting Soares years ago at Northwestern.
The spring session marked not an end but a transition. With final exams approaching, players will disperse for a few weeks before reconvening for summer workouts — what Fitzgerald calls the “third quarter” of the offseason. Fall camp begins in 110 days, the season opener against Toledo in 141, and the rivalry game at Michigan in 203. For now, the Spartans have a foundation: a pass rusher with upside, a quarterback who protects the ball, and a coaching staff intent on building identity before the real operate begins.
What does Kenny Soares Jr.’s spring performance indicate for Michigan State’s pass rush?
Soares showed the motor and versatility to generate consistent pressure as an edge rusher, a role he’s transitioning to after playing off-ball linebacker last season. While he lacks the prototypical build, his ability to collapse the pocket and harass quarterbacks suggests he could significantly improve a unit that has produced just three career sacks from its leading returning player over the past two seasons.
Why isn’t there concern about Alessio Milivojevic’s quiet spring showing?
Milivojevic’s conservative, completion-focused approach was intentional — Fitzgerald described it as buying into “Less,” the quarterback’s tendency to simplify under pressure. The coach expressed full confidence in Milivojevic as the starter, citing extensive tape review and projection of his development, noting that avoiding risks in spring aligns with the staff’s game-management priorities.
Worth a look
