It’s almost officially Adam Shaw’s time to shine.
Michigan State is gearing up to face Eastern Michigan on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. ET, but the Spartans could be without a key defender for the showdown which could lead to an expanded role for Brady Pretzlaff as he’s going to be the main linebacker and potentially an early opportunity to play for Shaw.
Star linebacker Jordan Hall has been seen in street clothes by media members in attendance for the Spartans’ matchup with Noah Kim and the Eagles.
That’s leading everyone to believe that’s he’s going to sit out and rest up for Notre Dame.
Early indications are LB Jordan Hall won't be playing today. He's still in street shoes with some other guys we haven't seen, while the rest of the team begins stretching.
— Stephen Brooks (@StephenM_Brooks) September 12, 2026
Hall was also seen wearing a huge brace on his arm after leaving last week’s game against Toledo a couple of times holding that same arm. There’s been no word on what the severity of the injury is, but considering he’s wearing a brace, that probably means he’ll be suiting up with the bulky brace when he is officially cleared.
No speculating here, but it would make sense if Pat Fitzgerald held him out this week in order to prepare for that big game in South Bend next week. The Spartans will need him more in Week 3.
With Hall likely out, that should mean more Caleb Wheatland along with Pretzlaff as the healthy starter returning from last week’s big game against Toledo.
Being without Hall is a big hit to the defense.
Michigan State will need some young LBs to step up
While the Spartans have Pretzlaff as a starter, Wheatland or Dion Crawford could start alongside him in the 4-2-5 look. They also have the benefit of having several young, talented linebackers on the roster.
During the preseason, we heard plenty about Shaw who flipped his commitment to Michigan State during the recruiting process. He’s been impressing the staff and it seems like we could see his Spartan debut on Saturday.
Outside of Shaw, there are other young guys who could fill in like DeJae White who was one of my favorite recruits in the Spartans’ 2025 class as well as DiMari Malone who is another really intriguing young backer from Macomb (Mich.) Dakota.
Hopefully Hall’s injury isn’t too serious because that would be a massive blow to the defense, but having him sit out for this matchup against an average MAC team is probably for the best. This is also going to allow the younger guys to get some run and get snaps in before Big Ten play begins.
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