Six Spartan Football Players Who Impressed Against Toledo

On Friday night, Michigan State football opened the Pat Fitzgerald era with a victory, thwarting a fourth quarter comeback by Toledo. The Spartans scored 11 points in the final quarter after the Rockets had a go-ahead drive.

With the new regime, over 50 Spartans introduced themselves to Spartan Stadium, to varying degrees of playing time. In addition, members who stuck with the program got their chance to step into the spotlight after multiple portal transfers.

Quite a few Spartans impressed and made a name for themselves, so here are some of the biggest surprises from opening night.

DT Mikeshun Beeler

Beeler was a pleasant surprise on Friday, as most had projected the Illinois native to be a depth piece. Against Toledo, Beeler worked his way into the rotation, with 18 snaps after only seeing nine during his last two years with the Spartans in total.

In those snaps, Beeler was able to disrupt the backfield, breaking into and disrupting a Rocket play in Spartan territory and helping stall Toledo out. He shined brighter, and got more playing time, than second-year player Derrick Simmons, who was projected ahead of Beeler in most mock depth charts.

DT Eli Coenen

Coenen has been a projected starter since being acquired from Illinois during the transfer portal cycle, but no one could have projected his big day. The Spartan defensive tackle caused havoc during the game, with multiple early pressures and a ball batted down in the first few drives alone.

Wherever the Rockets wanted to run their offense, the big no. 96 was there. As an interior defensive lineman, Coenen was tied for the team lead in total quarterback pressures. Unfortunately for the interior defender, but fortunate for his running mates, his game likely earns him plenty more double teams in the upcoming weeks.

K Liam Boyd

During the transfer portal cycle, the addition of Boyd was not met with much fanfare. Boyd had a solid, if unspectacular, season with Charlotte in 2025, hitting a dozen field foals, but his longest was only 42 yards.

LeVar Woods was a crucial addition this offseason, and his scouting proved why his track record is so great. Boyd drilled five field goals against the Rockets, tying or hitting a new career long three separate times on the night.

The kicker did not give much thought to the kick lengths, focused on executing his job. He finished 5-for-6 on the night, with his only miss being blocked. The Spartans needed each of his 16 points to win their opener.

LB Brady Pretzlaff

During the offseason, a lot was made of the linebacker room. The Spartans acquired three senior linebackers in the transfer portal to pair with returning senior Jordan Hall. The question became how the Spartans could afford to balance snaps while also rotating in returning sophomore Brady Pretzlaff.

Pretzlaff was working his way into a role in 2025 before an upper body injury ended his season before the first road trip to USC. He attacked his rehab and responded to the acquired seniors by stepping up and taking the starting role.

The Gaylord, Mich. native earned his playing time on Friday, playing all but one snap and tying for the team lead in tackles. His aforementioned “big role” by Joe Rossi came into fruition in his first career start. The ceiling is high for the sophomore backer.

TE Jayden Savoury

Savoury is a player that has gotten a ton of hype and attention since arriving in East Lansing last summer. After a handful of snaps and his first career catch last year, the stage was set for the 2026 season.

The former dual-sport star played a critical role in the Nick Sheridan offense, connecting with quarterback Alessio Milivojevic four times on the night and cementing his role as the pass-catching tight end of the group.

At this rate, the only thing preventing Savoury from locking the top tight end spot up is his blocking, as his run block grade (40.9, per PFF) was the lowest on the team. In a scheme that saw the top three backs combine for 40 carries, that is a critical need to polish to become the starter.

However, there is no competition to be the best pass catcher in that tight end room. The only other pass-first tight end among the group, Carson Gulker, played only one snap on Friday.

DB Jonathan Granby

Jonathan Granby? Why him? Might be asked here. The freshman defensive back quietly surprised on Friday, to an extent that most people might not realize. Granby earned a role on kickoff coverage during the home opener, making him the first freshman to play in the Pat Fitzgerald era.

Granby earned playing time over multiple of the highly-touted recruits, including class of 2026 four-stars Kayd Coffman, Samson Gash (who was out injured), and Collin Campbell.

The defensive back and former two-way star that flipped late has stood out enough for LeVar Woods, a special teams genius, to reward him with a spot on one of his units.