Getting reaffirmations has been top priority for Pat Fitzgerald as he eases into his Michigan State tenure, but he’s not only looking for them from 2026 commits, but also current players.
Makhi Frazier and Nick Marsh have announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal, but not many players have shared their plans publicly. I do expect that to change.
It’s already starting as Fitzgerald begins his end-of-season meetings with his new players, and some of them have already been posting encouraging hints on Twitter. One of the players who has seemingly announced his return under the new head coach happens to be a young linebacker who many believe has a very bright future.
Brady Pretzlaff tweeted a “home” emoji with a couple game pictures from this season. If that doesn’t sound like a guy who’s ready to return to East Lansing, I don’t know what does.
— Brady Pretzlaff (@brady_pretzlaff) December 4, 2025
Pretzlaff unfortunately missed a good chunk of the 2025 season with an injury, but he was always showing support for his teammates and the coaching staff. Despite losing his head coach, he may also be losing the coach who recruited him at both Minnesota and Michigan State (Joe Rossi). There’s a chance that Rossi could return, but I’m not sure how likely that is.
The redshirt freshman announcing that Michigan State is home and likely reaffirming his place on the roster is a good sign for the future, but now we need Jordan Hall to be next.
Pretzlaff, however, feels like a guy who could become a true star in Fitzgerald’s system. The new head coach is a Hall of Fame linebacker from Northwestern who was all about toughness during his playing days. If anyone can mold him into an All-American and NFL draft pick, it’s Fitzgerald.
The fact that Fitzgerald has a linebacker’s mindset and has developed some elite ones during his Northwestern days should help him with retaining Hall, too.
MIchigan State is going to bring back the toughness with Fitzgerald leading the way, and as long as he nails the offensive and defensive coordinator hires, the program could be cooking sooner rather than later.