Entering the fourth week of fall camp, Michigan State football continues to get solid reps in while avoiding major injuries (knock on wood), and the coaching staff has been praising certain players.
Some of the players earning a bulk of the praise were granted a special honor on Monday night.
Jonathan Smith posted his five captains on X on Monday night, and there were some surprises.
Proud to have these men leading us as captains this season — a well-deserved honor that recognizes their leadership and commitment to our team! pic.twitter.com/ApcmUzs5ho
— Jonathan Smith (@Coach_Smith) August 18, 2025
We all expected guys like Aidan Chiles and Jordan Hall to be captains, but if you were basing the choices on Big Ten Media Days representatives, you were probably extra surprised.
The Spartans will have Chiles, Hall, Sam Edwards, Matt Gulbin, and Quindarius Dunnigan as the five captains this season. The first two make the most sense and it should make fans feel good about the way those two players have grown both on and off the field this season.
Gulbin was a bit surprising to see since he's one of the newest roster additions from Wake Forest. He's only been on campus for a few months, but his teammates and coaches clearly think highly of him. Dunnigan is a former transfer who is expected to help the defensive line improve drastically this season. I'm somewhat surprised to see him here, only because he hasn't been heard from much.
Lastly, Edwards was the biggest surprise as a depth piece in the locker room. He's probably going to have a breakout season in 2025, judging by the captain selection.
Five captains also tells me that there's some elite leadership on this team.
Michigan State is in good hands.