Michigan State has completed non-conference play. Things only get more interesting from here.
The Spartans' results have been as expected so far, taking down Toledo 30-20 , Eastern Michigan 35-7 , and falling at No. 3 Notre Dame 27-10 . Competition for playing time never truly ends, and these seem to be the players who are on the rise entering the nine-game Big Ten schedule.
Sep 19, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Cam Fancher (2) runs against Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Jaylen Sneed (3) during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
One of the big wrinkles Michigan State has in its offense this year is its inclusion of second-string quarterback Cam Fancher . There wasn't any debate that Alessio Milivojevic is QB1 during the offseason, but the Spartans think that their sixth-year senior backup has been good enough to get some playing time.
Fancher has generally come into the game when MSU has had the ball in opposing territory or in the red zone. It's also generally gone well when he's come in. Usually, it's been to utilize Fancher's legs, and it's gone for the tune of 29 yards on five carries thus far, including a 15-yard keeper for the team's only touchdown against Notre Dame on Saturday. Fancher is also 6-for-7 passing for 44 yards, with the only incompletion being Kenneth Williams ' touchdown drop against the Irish.
Michigan State's Jayden Savoury runs after a catch against Eastern Michigan during the fourth quarter on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
One young player on the rise is tight end Jayden Savoury . He and Brennan Parachek have been Michigan State's two main tight ends this year, but Savoury has been the most productive option by a wide margin. He's got 11 catches for 129 receiving yards (both second on the team) through the first three games of his redshirt freshman season. MSU's other tight ends have three combined catches for 24 yards.
Savoury's share of the snaps has also increased each week -- from 44% against Toledo, to 57% vs. Eastern Michigan, and then 69% at Notre Dame. At the same time, Parachek's share of the snaps has also decreased each week so far. Parachek is still probably the better blocker of the two, but Savoury is gaining more trust from the staff each week, and it feels like he's only going to get better and better.
Michigan State's Charles Taplin runs after a catch against Eastern Michigan during the second quarter on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Another second-year player on offense who probably deserves a role is Charles Taplin . He didn't get any playing time in the season opener against Toledo and just two offensive snaps against Notre Dame, but Michigan State's current crop of starting receivers has struggled to get separation through three weeks, and it feels like a needed shakeup could be coming.
Taplin would perhaps be the main beneficiary of that, if it comes. He made the most of the 10 offensive snaps he received against EMU, making three catches for 65 yards. One catch was a deep-ball touchdown, and another moved the chains on a fourth-and-long.
Michigan State's Charles Taplin, left, celebrates his touchdown with Rodney Bullard Jr. during the third quarter against Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
MSU's wideouts only made five catches against Notre Dame, and Milivojevic has been pretty frequently holding onto the ball in the pocket for a long time because nobody has been getting open. Nebraska 's pass defense ranks seventh in the country so far at 118.0 yards allowed per game -- though this has been against Ohio , Bowling Green, and FCS North Dakota as opponents so far.
Still, the Cornhuskers finished third in pass defense last year and held Michigan State to 156 yards through the air (85 for Aidan Chiles , 71 for Milivojevic). MSU will have to try something different than what it did against Notre Dame, and giving Taplin some more opportunities should be on the list of ideas.
Notre Dame running back Nolan James Jr., right, runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown during a NCAA football game against Michigan State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in South Bend. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
One surprise contributor for the Spartans against Notre Dame was defensive lineman Trey Lisle . After he received just eight total defensive snaps during MSU's first two games, Lisle got 26 defensive snaps against the Fighting Irish.
Michigan State and Pat Fitzgerald's staff have valued positional versatility, and it seems like Lisle, a new transfer this year from FCS Southeast Missouri State, is somebody who could end up receiving playing time at multiple spots. Lisle would play defensive end in a three-point stance at times on Saturday, but there were also a couple of plays where he moved to defensive tackle and put both hands in the dirt.
Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald greets players on the sidelines against Eastern Michigan at Spartan Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI
I asked Fitzgerald on Monday why Lisle got a big uptick in playing time against the Irish, and honestly got a more insightful answer than I had expected. Lisle was struggling a lot at one point during training camp, and Fitzgerald says Lisle made an intentional choice to find a way to make an impact on this year's team, and that Lisle actually did it through reps on the scout team.
"I think that's the sign of a young man who's really maturing and growing into a role," Fitzgerald said. "We're really proud of him, and we're going to push him even harder now that he's shown that he's got it."
Sep 19, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Nolan James Jr. (2) runs against Michigan State Spartans cornerback Tyran Chappell (22) during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Tyran Chappell has already moved into a starting role, but he's starting to look more and more like potentially Michigan State's best cornerback. You've probably hardly noticed Chappell during MSU's first three games this season, which is a good thing when discussing a corner. PFF says Chappell has only allowed two catches on three targets for 12 yards with one penalty so far this season.
He's also one of 21 corners in the Power Four who have played at least 50 coverage snaps this year and allowed 20 yards or fewer. Michigan State's other two corners, Charles Brantley and Tre Bell, have allowed 162 and 139 yards so far, respectively.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/michiganstate as 5 MSU Players Primed for Larger Roles in Big Ten Play .
