Pat Fitzgerald’s first fall camp with Michigan State has flown by and we’re now entering the final week of it before the team transitions to game prep ahead of the Toledo opener on Sept. 4.
These three (really four) guys are facing major opportunities and have the most to prove this week.
1. KK Smith/Fredrick Moore
No, this isn’t picking on the new transfer receivers, but rather stating that they face a huge opportunity to earn a starting role this season and it feels like we haven’t heard about either one standing out during fall camp so far. There are nothing but opportunities on the depth chart outside of Chrishon McCray holding on to a starting spot, but no one is standing out (other than maybe Charles Taplin and Bryson Williams).
Fredrick Moore comes over from Michigan after catching 15 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown in his three-year career in Ann Arbor. The former three-star has a ton of potential, but he needs to realize that there’s a starting spot open right in front of him and he needs to attack it.
As for KK Smith, the Notre Dame transfer had 11 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns in his two years with the Irish and he, too, needs to prove that he’s a top three receiver on this roster. We haven’t heard a ton about him during fall camp, but maybe he’s a secret weapon?
Both guys have a lot to prove this week.
2. Brennan Parachek
Former four-star tight end Brennan Parachek is someone who has always looked the part, physically, but his play hasn’t matched to this point in his career. The junior tight end from Dexter, Mich., stands 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds but he has just 14 catches for 118 yards during his Michigan State career, still waiting on that first touchdown catch.
Right now, it sounds like he’s watching a redshirt freshman take over the role that he’s been waiting years for. Jack Velling and Michael Masunas aren’t around to bury him on the depth chart anymore, so a little sense of urgency for a spot on the two-deep at tight end would be nice.
This is a make-or-break year for Parachek because, well, chances are running out.
3. Derrick Simmons
Derrick Simmons was one of the most intriguing signees from the 2025 class and he drew a ton of praise last preseason. He played in just four games to maintain his redshirt in 2025, totaling two tackles. He played just 44 snaps on defense last season and keeping that redshirt was the right move considering he wasn’t quite ready yet.
Now, with a year of experience under his belt, it’s his time to shine, especially with Michigan State’s pass rush in desperate need of some assistance. Not just that, but he can plug some holes in the run game with that massive 6-foot-3, 305-pound frame.
Not much has been spoken about Simmons during fall camp, but he’s going to need to be a dude for the Spartans in the trenches this season if the defensive line is going to have a pulse.
Imagine he lives up to his four-star potential and starts alongside guys like Ben Roberts (or Eli Coenen) and Kenny Soares Jr. That would be a formidable trio.
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