Michigan State added a gem to its class on Wednesday by getting the signature of Detroit Catholic Central speedster Samson Gash.

Gash, who had previously given a verbal to the Spartans last summer, stuck with MSU and new head coach Pat Fitzgerald despite reopening his recruiting process after the firing of Jonathan Smith.

The four-star prospect, a consensus top-50 wide receiver in the Class of 2026, confirmed the news Wednesday that was first reported by Hayes Fawcett of Rivals/on3.

Fitzgerald’s push to secure Gash was anything but a secret in the days leading up. He received a loud ovation from the Spartan faithful at the Breslin Center when Fitzgerald and Gash walked out together at last Friday’s home men’s hoops game against Michigan. Fitzgerald was seen introducing Gash to Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell.

The six-foot, 185-pounder flashed his track speed all season for the unbeaten D1 state champs. An impact player in all three phases, the Mr. Football candidate concluded his senior season with 1,700 yards and 18 total touchdowns.

Both Georgia and Penn State were among the top programs that offered Gash following Fitzgerald’s hire on Dec. 1, but Gash had indicated after the Shamrocks won the title that he intended to take some time on his decision before ultimate opting to join his older brother Caleb in East Lansing.

Fitzgerald will hope it’s not the last commitment from a Gash to come.

Samson’s younger brother, Gideon, has continued to see his star rise following a strong junior season in which he was a lockdown player in the secondary for Catholic Central, and like his brother, was a danger man in the return game.

Like Samson, Michigan State also initially offered Gideon this past summer, but he’s seen his list of offers increase by double digits since the turn of the calendar. Among the schools that have joined the chase for the three or four-star cornerback are Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Iowa and Alabama.

With Samson added to the group, 247 ranked Michigan State’s 2026 class 50th overall, while On3 had the Spartans at No. 54.

Other Catholic Central senior footballers headed to play at the next level include Benny Eziuka (Virginia Tech), Jack Janda (Iowa), Josha Atiemo (Central Michigan), Brandon Bartolucci (Wayne State), Luca Genrich (Michigan State), Hunter Stokes (North Central College), Michael Dersa (Western Michigan), and Cedric Williams Jr. (Michigan State).

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jaylen Crocker-Johnson had 22 points and seven rebounds to help Minnesota fend off a late surge by 10th-ranked Michigan State and secure a 76-73 upset on Wednesday night.

Cade Tyson scored 17 points and Langston Reynolds added 14 points and eight assists for the Gophers (11-12, 4-8 Big Ten), who broke a seven-game losing streak despite being outscored 22-9 over the final four minutes in a game in which they were 7 1/2 point underdogs according to MGM Sportsbook.

Coen Carr had 10 of his 16 points for the Spartans (19-4, 9-3) in the last three minutes, including a layup with 34 seconds left that cut the lead to 72-68, their closest margin since 7-3.

Trey Fort’s catch-and-shoot corner 3-pointer made it 73-71 with 20 seconds remaining, but Isaac Asuma sank both free throws to steady the Gophers, whose fans stormed the court after the final buzzer.

Spartans point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who totaled 60 points over two games last week, had just 10 points on 4-for-11 shooting with 11 assists.

The Spartans were in a four-way tie for first place five days ago with Michigan, Illinois and Nebraska. All four teams are ranked in the top 10 in The Associated Press poll. After losing to the rival Wolverines on Friday, the Spartans have fallen into fourth.

The Gophers were overdue for a breakthrough, with three losses by three points or less during the skid. They were tied or leading in the final minute of regulation in five of them. Minnesota’s last win over an AP top-10 team was on Jan. 16, 2021, over No. 7 Michigan.

Moved to the bench with Jordan Scott starting for the first time, Spartans shooting guard Divine Ugochukwu hobbled off with an injury in the first half and didn’t return.

Up next

Michigan State: Hosts No. 5 Illinois on Saturday.

Minnesota: Hosts Maryland on Sunday.

— By DAVE CAMPBELL, Associated Press

EAST LANSING (AP) — Oluchi Okananwa scored 23 points, and the No. 22 Maryland women pulled away in the second half for an 86-70 win over No. 12 Michigan State on Wednesday.

Maryland (18-6, 6-6 Big Ten) led 43-33 at halftime and broke the game open in the third quarter.

Okananwa went 8 of 13 from the field and added four rebounds, five assists and a steal as the Terps shot 49% as a team.

Yarden Garzon added 16 points and five assists, Kyndal Walker scored 14, and Saylor Poffenbarger finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Maryland forced 20 turnovers, which led to 23 points, while holding Michigan State to 4 of 15 from 3.

The Terps pushed the margin to 72-55 early in the fourth on Poffenbarger’s 3-pointer. Okananwa scored seven straight points soon after, including a layup and a deep 3-pointer that stretched the lead to 84-68 with under two minutes left. Maryland never allowed the Spartans to get within single digits in the final quarter.

Grace VanSlooten led Michigan State (19-4, 8-4) with 19 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Kennedy Blair had 15 points and seven assists, while Jalyn Brown scored 13.

Up Next

Michigan State: The Spartans play Saturday at Penn State.

Maryland: The Terrapins visit Nebraska on Saturday.

ANN ARBOR (AP) — Syla Swords scored 28 points and Olivia Olson had 21 to help No. 8 Michigan pull away and beat Nebraska 88-76 on Wednesday night.

The Wolverines (20-3, 11-1 Big Ten) went on a 15-6 run to take a nine-point lead early in the fourth quarter and turned what was a closely contested game into a double-digit victory.

Michigan has won a school-record nine straight Big Ten games.

That streak will be put to a test Sunday at home against UCLA, the second-ranked team in The Associated Press women’s college basketball poll.

Michigan has been a top-10 team for a program-record 11 consecutive weeks. The Wolverines have reached the 20-win mark for the 20th time, including 12 seasons with coach Kim Barnes Arico.

The Cornhuskers (16-7, 5-7) fell to 0-6 against AP Top 25 teams this season.

Nebraska’s Britt Prince and Amiah Hargrove scored 16 each and Petra Bozan added 12 points.

The Huskers were competitive for two-plus quarters.

They led 25-24 after an opening quarter with eight lead changes and four ties. The Wolverines turned it over six times in the first quarter and gave it up on the first possession of the second quarter before taking better care of the ball and going on a 7-0 run to take a six-point lead.

Nebraska closed the first half with eight points in 1:01 to take a 44-42 lead and went ahead by six points early in the third quarter.

Michigan surged ahead by making 6 of 8 shots to end the third, taking a 69-64 lead on Swords’ third 3-pointer.

Ashley Sofilkanich finished with nine points and 13 rebounds for the Wolverines.

Up next

Nebraska: Host Maryland on Saturday.

Michigan: Hosts No. 2 UCLA on Sunday.

ANN ARBOR (AP) — Yaxel Lendeborg had 18 points and nine rebounds, Morez Johnson scored 12 points and No. 3 Michigan beat Ohio State 74-62 on Friday night.

The Wolverines (18-1, 8-1 Big Ten) took control with a 21-6 run in the second half after the Buckeyes (13-6, 5-3) tied it for a ninth time midway through the second half.

Ohio State’s John Mobley Jr. scored 14 of his 22 points in the first half when Michigan led 33-30.

Mobley made a 3-pointer and assisted on Christoph Tilly’s 3-pointer to put the Buckeyes ahead by six early in the second half, compelling coach Dusty May to call a timeout.

It seemed to work because the Wolverines went on an 11-0 run during the pivotal part of the game and turned a previously closely contested game with 12 lead changes into a double-digit victory.

Michigan freshman Trey McKenney scored 12 points and Aday Mara had 11 points and four blocks.

Tilly finished with 17 points and Bruce Thornton had 10 points before limping off the court in the final minute with an ankle injury.

Puff Johnson made his Ohio State debut, a week after joining the team and becoming eligible after he was granted a temporary restraining order. He started his career in 2020 at North Carolina and later transferred to Penn State.

Michigan honored Trey Burke, the AP Player of the Year in 2013, by putting his No. 3 jersey in the Crisler Center rafters along with five former greats such as 1989 national champion Glen Rice.

Up next

Ohio State: Hosts Penn State on Monday night.

Michigan: Hosts No. 7 Nebraska on Tuesday night.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Tuburu Naivalurua had a career-high 26 points and 10 rebounds and Isaac Garrett added 17 points and added 10 rebounds as Oakland beat Green Bay 88-63 on Sunday to snap the Phoenix’s five-game win streak.

Ziare Wells finished 6 of 7 from the field and finish with 14 points, five rebounds and three steals for the Golden Grizzlies (11-9, 7-2 Horizon League).

“I’m just really proud of these guys. I haven’t taken many teams in our 14 years in the league up here and went back-to-back like we did — maybe one or two times,” Oakland head coach Greg Kampe said. “Took them off of what we came off of, make this business trip, and played the way we played two nights in a row. I’m really, really pleased with the kids.”

Ramel Bethea finished with 11 points and four blocks for the Phoenix (11-9, 6-3). Justin Allen added nine points and six rebounds for Green Bay. Marcus Hall also had nine points and four assists.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

SEATTLE (AP) — Jeremy Fears Jr. scored 19 points and No. 12 Michigan State beat Washington 80-63 on Saturday for its fourth straight victory.

The Spartans (16-2, 6-1 Big Ten) won in their first game at Washington since 1957.

Fears was 6 of 9 from the field and made 7 of 8 free throws in his fourth straight game with at least 15 points. He also had five assists.

Kur Teng added 11 points, hitting three 3-pointers.

Zoom Diallo led Washington (10-8, 2-5) with 18 points, and Hannes Steinbach had 17 points and nine rebounds. The Huskies have lost four of five, three of them against teams ranked 12th or better.

Washington was without guard Desmond Claude. He announced Friday on social media that he was “stepping away from all on-court activities” due to health concerns stemming from a sprained ankle in fall workouts that forced him to miss the first four games of the season. In 12 games (nine starts), he averaged 13.3 points.

Up next

Michigan State: At Oregon on Tuesday night

Washington: At No. 8 Nebraska on Wednesday night.

— By JOSH KIRSHENBAUM, Associated Press

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Elliot Cadeau scored 17 points and No. 4 Michigan defeated Oregon 81-71 Saturday afternoon at Matthew Knight Arena.

Nimari Burnett scored 15 points and Aday Mara added 12 points as Michigan (16-1, 6-1) won its second straight game following its lone loss of the season. Morez Johnson Jr. scored nine points in 17 minutes despite foul trouble and Yaxel Lendeborg added six and a game-high 10 rebounds for the Wolverines, who shot 49% from the field and outrebounded the Ducks 36-30.

Sean Stewart scored a career-high 22 points to go with eight rebounds for Oregon (8-10, 1-6), which dropped its fourth straight game. Kwame Evans Jr. had 18 points and seven rebounds while Takai Simpkins scored 12 for the Ducks.

Oregon played without its two leading scorers as senior center Nate Bittle, who averages 16.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, is likely out for a month after injuring his foot last week in a loss at Nebraska. Junior point guard Jackson Shelstad, who averages 15.6 points and a team-high 4.9 assists per game, missed his fifth straight game with a hand injury.

Oregon led 41-40 at halftime and opened the second period with a basket from Stewart before Burnett answered with a 3-pointer. Oregon went back up 47-46 on a dunk from Devon Pryor before Michigan went on a 12-2 run to take a 58-49 lead.

Oregon got within 74-68 on a basket by Stewart with 3:33 to play, but Cadeau made a layup and Johnson added a bucket to put the Wolverines ahead 78-68 with 2:28 left in the game.

Up next

Michigan: The Wolverines return home to face Indiana on Tuesday.

Oregon: The Ducks host No. 12 Michigan State on Tuesday.

— By STEVE MIMS, Associated Press

MILWUAKEE (AP) — Michael Houge had 19 points in Oakland’s 73-60 victory over Milwaukee on Thursday.

Houge also contributed seven rebounds for the Golden Grizzlies (10-9, 6-2 Horizon League). Brody Robinson added 17 points while shooting 2 for 7 (1 for 5 from 3-point range) and 12 of 14 from the free-throw line while they also had three steals.

Isaac Garrett finished with 13 points, while adding 12 rebounds. Tuburu Naivalurua had 10 rebounds and four points.

“Tim McCormick (ESPNU color analyst) asked me during shootaround if I was going to find out a lot about my team tonight. I told him, especially after Sunday: let’s find out,” Oakland head coach Greg Kampe said. “We came out, Mike Houge was on fire. We had a good lead, sure we turned the ball over too many times. Gave up a few too many offensive rebounds, but we won with our defense tonight.”

Sekou Konneh finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for the Panthers (8-11, 4-4). Aaron Franklin added 13 points, 13 rebounds and three steals for Milwaukee. Josh Dixon finished with 11 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

ANN ARBOR (AP) — Olivia Olson scored 21 points, including 15 in the first half, and Te’Yala Delfosse added 15 to lead No. 8 Michigan to a 85-69 victory over No. 25 Illinois on Thursday night.

Mila Holloway added 13 points and Syla Swords had 11 for the Wolverines (15-2, 6-1 Big Ten). Michigan, which has won all 10 of its home games, is off to its best start since is started 20-2 during the 2021-22 season.

Berry Wallace scored 26 points and Jasmine Brown-Hagger added 16 for the Illini (14-4, 4-3 Big Ten), who have dropped three of their last four.

Michigan started by hitting its first five shots and led by as many as 18 points in the first half. Wallace and Brown-Hagger kept it from getting completely out of hand early by combining for the Illini’s first 19 points.

After trailing 47-32 at halftime, Illinois used an 11-0 run to get within 52-47. Michigan responded with a 15-4 spurt to push the lead back to 18. The Illini, who missed their last seven field goal attempts, could get no closer than 11.

The Wolverines kept the Illini’s offense out of sync throughout, forcing 15 turnovers and holding Illinois to 39.7% shooting. The Illini came in averaging only 12.8 turnovers and hitting 47% of their shots.

Starting guard Gretchen Dolan, Illinois’ second-leading scorer with 13.6 points per game, didn’t play because of a knee injury. She was replaced by Maddie Webber, who was held to 3 points.

Up next

Illinois: hosts Northwestern on Sunday.

Michigan: plays Vanderbilt in the Coretta Scott King Classic in Newark, New Jersey, on Monday.

— BOB TRIPI, Associated Press

AUBURN HILLS (AP) — Solomon Callaghan scored 27 points as Wright State beat Oakland 94-84 on Sunday.

Callaghan shot 8 of 11 from the field, including 6 for 9 from 3-point range, and went 5 for 5 from the line for the Raiders (11-7, 6-1 Horizon League). Kellen Pickett added 18 points while shooting 7 of 10 from the field and 4 for 4 from the line and also had 11 rebounds. TJ Burch went 7 of 16 from the field (2 for 3 from 3-point range) to finish with 18 points, while adding six assists. It was the sixth straight win for the Raiders.

Brody Robinson led the way for the Golden Grizzlies (9-9, 5-2) with 35 points and four steals. Oakland also got 15 points, six rebounds and two steals from Tuburu Niavalurua. Brett White II also recorded 11 points.

Up next

These two teams both play Thursday. Wright State hosts Youngstown State and Oakland visits Milwaukee.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Rashunda Jones scored 23 points, and No. 15 Michigan State rallied from a double-digit deficit in the first half to beat Oregon 85-81 on Sunday for the Spartans’ eighth straight win.

Ines Sotelo scored four points and Jones made a pair of free throws in a 6-0 spurt that gave Michigan State the lead for good, 78-75, with 2:46 remaining. The Spartans trailed by as many as 16 points early in the second quarter.

Jones finished 9-of-12 shooting that included two 3s for Michigan State (16-1, 5-1 Big Ten). Grace VanSlooten added 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Kennedy Blair scored 11 points, and Emma Shumate and Jalyn Brown each had 10.

Katie Fiso scored 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting and had nine assists to lead Oregon (14-4, 2-3 Big Ten). Sofia Bell and Mia Jacobs added 18 points apiece for the Ducks. Ehis Etute chipped in with 11 points.

Oregon opened on a 10-2 run and led 31-21 at the end of the first quarter. The Ducks scored the first five points of the second to stretch the lead to 36-20, but Michigan State answered with a 24-7 run and led 44-43 at the break. Bell made four 3s for 12 points in the first half for the Ducks. Shumate scored all 10 of her points in the first half to lead the Spartans.

The then-16th ranked Spartans avenged last season’s 63-59 loss at home against the Ducks.

Up next

Oregon: At No. 14 Iowa on Thursday.

Michigan State: At home against No. 25 Nebraska on Thursday.

ANN ARBOR (AP) — Olivia Olson scored 21 points and No. 9 Michigan never trailed while rolling to an 86-60 victory over Wisconsin on Sunday.

Te’Yala Delfosse made her first career start and had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Mila Holloway also had 18 points for the Wolverines (14-2, 5-1 Big Ten).

Kendall Dudley contributed 11 points with eight rebounds and Brooke Quarles Daniels surpassed the 1,000-point mark for her career while scoring eight points. Quarles Daniels also had eight rebounds, six assists and five steals.

Destiny Howell led Wisconsin (11-6, 3-3) with 12 points. Breauna Ware added 11 points and Laci Steele chipped in 10. The Badgers committed 23 turnovers, which the Wolverines converted into 25 points. Michigan also scored 19 points off 21 offensive rebounds.

The Wolverines’ Syla Swords, their second-leading scorer at 13.9 points per game, sat out due to an injury sustained in a 105-65 win over Penn State on Thursday.

Flustered by Michigan’s pressing and trapping defenses, the Badgers missed their first eight shots and committed eight fouls and seven turnovers before scoring their first points — Shay Bollin’s 3-pointer with 1:39 left in the first quarter. By then, the Wolverines had built a 16-point lead.

Olson finished the half with 17 points, including a 3-pointer in the closing seconds to give the Wolverines a 46-21 halftime advantage. Their lead never dipped below 20 points in the second half.

Former Michigan star Diane Dietz (1979-82) had her No. 21 jersey raised to the Crisler Center rafters during a pregame ceremony. Dietz, who was the program’s first 2,000-point scorer, is currently the deputy commissioner of the Big Ten Conference.

Up next

Wisconsin: visits Northwestern on Thursday.

Michigan: hosts Illinois on Thursday.

DETROIT — Nick Marsh won’t be coming back to Michigan State after exploring his options in the transfer portal. Instead, he’ll play for a budding Big Ten power in Indiana.

Marsh committed to the Hoosiers Sunday after a visit to Bloomington, Ind., on Saturday. The rising junior wideout led the Spartans in receiving each of his first two seasons with 100 career receptions for 1,311 yards and nine touchdowns. In 2025, he set career highs in receptions (59), yards (662) and touchdowns (six).

Marsh was one of the earliest Spartans to enter the portal after the firing of Jonathan Smith and hiring of Pat Fitzgerald within two days of the end of the season. He joins the Hoosiers as the Big Ten champions ready for a College Football Playoff semifinal bout with Oregon, who the Hoosiers beat 30-20 on the road Oct. 11.

Michigan State also made its first adds in the transfer portal Sunday: offensive tackle Ben Murawski, who played for left tackle for Connecticut this past season and also has experience at left guard; and cornerback Tyran Chappell, who was a standout for Houston Christian in 2025.

Murawski, a 6-foot-7 and 335-pound Pennsylvanian, was one of PFF’s highest-graded run blockers and played for an offensive line that allowed just 16 sacks on the season, 17th best among all Football Bowl Subdivision schools.

There have been 41 Michigan State players have entered the transfer portal since it opened Friday, the latest addition being reserve cornerback Anthony Pinnace III. A whopping 11 of those players were offensive linemen, including left tackle Stanton Ramil, guards Gavin Broscious and Kristian Phillips, and right tackle Ashton Lepo, who all started at least one game. Fitzgerald changed offensive line coaches from Jim Michalczik, who came in under Smith, to Nick Tabacca, a longtime Wake Forest assistant who coached MSU center Matt Gulbin there before the NFL draft prospect came to East Lansing in 2025.

“Nick Tabacca is an established coach who has consistently demonstrated the ability to get the most out of his players and build a cohesive and effective offensive line,” Fitzgerald said in a statement Friday. “He cultivated one of the best O-lines in the ACC during his time at Wake Forest and has coached numerous players who have gone on to the NFL.”

The Spartans did secure the return of 2024 FCS All-American right tackle Conner Moore, as well as reserve linemen Andrew Dennis and Antonio Johnson, who all publicly announced their returns.

Murawski was a second-team Group of Five All-American as selected by HERO Sports, one of six Huskies to make the cut as Jim Mora’s Huskies went 9-4 with a loss to Army in the Fenway Bowl. Mora left for Colorado State before that game, and UConn hired Toledo coach Jason Candle to lead the program.

For years, Michigan State’s offensive line has struggled to assert itself, especially in the past two years under Smith. In 2025, Michigan State allowed 37 sacks, 12th most in the FBS, and carved the way for just 122.8 rushing yards per game, ranking 109th in the country.

Behind the offensive line, Michigan State’s other big position loss to the portal was among its defensive backs, especially its corners. The Spartans lost 10 defensive backs to the portal, returning just two cornerbacks, NiJhay Burt and Dorian Davis, with game experience that added up to 18 snaps in 2025. Burt was a senior in 2025 but played just three games and has a redshirt year to use.

The addition of Chappell is a big one for the secondary. He had four interceptions and 11 passes defended for Houston Christian this past season as his team went 2-10 in the Football Bowl Subdivision’s Southland Conference despite his strong play. Chappell is a product of Denton, Texas, and Ryan High School, the same program as Chance Rucker, a redshirt sophomore who entered the portal this offseason.

Texas is a particularly strong recruiting zone for Fitzgerald. Of 428 freshmen recruits to his Northwestern program across 17 years, 44 came from Texas, third-most behind Illinois (108) and Ohio (62).

Chappell will be coached by Hank Poteat, the former Iowa State cornerbacks coach who joined Fitzgerald’s staff formally on Friday. He won a Super Bowl with New England in 2005 and has coached corners at the FBS level since 2011.

“He won a Super Bowl ring and knows what it takes to succeed at the highest level,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m looking forward to him bringing that mindset to our defense on a daily basis.”

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Rienk Mast hit the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:51 left and finished with 19 points to lead No. 13 Nebraska to a 58-56 victory over No. 9 Michigan State on Friday night.

Fans rushed the court at the final buzzer as the Cornhuskers (14-0, 3-0 Big Ten) won their 18th straight game since last season, the longest streak in the nation.

It was the lowest-scoring game of the season for both teams in what was the first ranked vs. ranked matchup in Lincoln since 1991. The game was hyped as a measuring stick for Nebraska, the only power-conference team to have never won an NCAA Tournament game. The Huskers met the moment.

What started as a slog quickly turned into a battle of bigs shooting 3-pointers. The 6-foot-10 Mast made five of his first seven from distance and finished 6 of 13. Michigan State’s 6-10 Jaxon Kohler made a career-high five on six attempts and finished with 19 points.

Pryce Sandfort had 13 points and Jamarques Lawrence added 12 for the Huskers. Jeremy Fears Jr. had 14 for the Spartans and Kur Teng, who started in place of Divine Ugochukwu (illness), added 12.

Michigan State was just 6 of 24 from the field in the second half and its 19 turnovers were its most since it committed the same number against Nebraska four years ago.

Mast’s last 3 was his only field goal of the second half and gave the Huskers the lead for good.

The Spartans had a chance to tie when Carson Cooper was fouled with 0.7 seconds left. But his first free throw bounced off the rim, and the Huskers came up with the rebound when he intentionally missed the second.

The Huskers are among six undefeated teams in Division I.

Up next

Michigan State: Hosts No. 24 Southern California on Monday.

Nebraska: Visits Ohio State on Monday.

— By ERIC OLSON, Associated Press

Michigan linebacker Cole Sullivan, one of the Wolverines’ top defensive players who led the team with three interceptions during the 2025 season, has entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal.

Sullivan joined the portal on Friday, and by his name is a do-not-contact emblem. Receiver Semaj Morgan, who played at West Bloomfield High, also entered his name in the portal, as did freshman cornerback Elijah Dotson, who had an interception this year, freshman offensive lineman Kaden Strayhorn, freshman running back Jasper Parker. Veteran defensive back Zeke Berry is entering his name in the portal, per several reports. Berry was a third-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches in 2025.

This is typically the time for normal attrition as players decide to try new paths with other programs, but for Michigan, this is an additional time of transition with the coaching change to Kyle Whittingham. Whittingham coached the last 21 years at Utah and was hired by Michigan on Dec. 26. He met with each player individually while in Orlando for the bowl game.

Michigan general manager Sean Magee said in an email sent Thursday to players and parents that he knows the timing of Whittingham’s hire and the opening of the portal on Friday – it will be open 15 days – is challenging.

“We have begun engaging in conversations with many of your representatives and some of you directly,” Magee wrote in the email obtained by The Detroit News. “It is important that new staff has input and visibility on many of the program decisions that are going to be made.

“We are working our absolute best to try and accomplish all of this in a very short window. With 105+ on our roster, this will not be able to occur as quickly as we would have liked, but we promise to operate in good faith and transparency with each of you as we navigate this coaching transition.”

Sullivan said after Michigan’s 41-27 loss to Texas on Wednesday that he did not know what his football future holds.

“I had a great meeting with Coach Whittingham,” Sullivan said after the game. “I really like him and what he’s bringing to this team and this program. As far as my future is concerned, it’s hard to say. There are too many uncertainties at this point, but I love this university.”

Sullivan said he wanted to learn more about what defense new coordinator Jay Hill, officially announced on Friday as Michigan’s defensive coordinator, plans to install.

“Obviously, the scheme is one thing, and just the mentality of the staff,” Sullivan said. “That’s all I could really say right now. I’m really excited to meet everybody that’s coming and just see what they have to say, and hopefully we blend in a good way.”

Michigan quarterback Davis Warren, who started nine games in 2024, also is in the portal, along with quarterback Jadyn Davis. Both had previously announced their decisions.

ANN ARBOR (AP) — Morez Johnson Jr. scored a career-high 29 points, including 17 in the first half, and No. 2 Michigan beat No. 24 Southern California 96-66 on Friday night.

Roddy Gayle Jr. added 12 points for the Wolverines (13-0, 3-0 Big Ten), and Will Tschetter, Trey McKenney and L.J. Cason each scored 10.

Michigan is off to its best start since it won 17 straight games to start the 2018-19 season.

Jaden Brownell scored 16 points and Erza Ausar added 15 for the Trojans (12-2, 1-2), whose only previous loss was by eight points against Washington on Dec. 6. Chad Baker-Mazara, who came into the game averaging 21 points, was hampered by early foul trouble and finished with 12 points on 3-of-11 shooting.

Michigan starting guard Nimari Burnett was helped from the court with 16:25 left after falling during a battle under the basket. He went down to the floor and appeared to be bleeding above his eyebrow and holding his ankle. He sat on the bench the rest of the night.

The Wolverines bolted out to an 11-0 lead thanks to a defense that forced six early turnovers. USC got within five points twice in the first half and Michigan responded with a 32-19 run to build a 49-31 halftime advantage.

USC got no closer the rest of the way.

Up next

USC: At No. 9 Michigan State on Monday.

Michigan: Visits Penn State on Tuesday.

— By BOB TRIPI, Associated Press

Transfer portal roster churn is no anomaly in the college football world. But the sheer volume of players entering the portal should make this transfer season quite busy for Pat Fitzgerald and the Michigan State football team.

With the addition of Alex VanSumeren and Armorion Smith to its portal departure list, Michigan State now has 40 players who have entered or plan to enter the transfer portal, headlined by contributors like quarterback Aidan Chiles, tight end Michael Masunas, wide receiver Nick Marsh and cornerback Aydan West.

Fitzgerald, unsurprisingly, expected all this when he took the job. As early as his introductory press conference Dec. 2, Fitzgerald made clear that he knew he and his staff would need to go big in the transfer portal. To donors and other stakeholders, he likely discussed it even sooner.

Though he spent the past three seasons out of the college ranks since his 2023 firing after 17 years leading Northwestern, Fitzgerald isn’t oblivious to the changes in the sport. He spent the past three years studying the current landscape of college football, which gives him insight into the rapid change in recent years with tools like the portal, revenue share and NIL reshaping the sport’s conventions.

“I don’t see any dinosaurs walking outside here,” Fitzgerald said Dec. 2, standing inside the Tom Izzo Football Building. “So I’m going to make sure that we’re as fully, nimble, flexible as we can be.”

In conversations with other coaches and his own observations, Fitzgerald came away with some takeaways on the current football landscape. A big one was that a high number of transfers can hurt teams, and the rosters that maintain experience and depth tend to fare better than those that don’t. Against the guidance of that lesson, the current roster churn may leave Fitzgerald no choice.

“That might not be my choice here to start off with,” Fitzgerald said. “You got to double down on the right people, right? You got to double down, and you don’t want to ever have to paint yourself in a corner with the roster. But you also have to be nimble and flexible enough to take the right number of guys by each position to make sure you’ve got the competitive depth.”

In that regard, Fitzgerald faces a challenge. Of 46 Spartans to take at least 100 snaps in the 2025 season, just 10 remain on the roster as of Friday, including a few headliners like quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, defensive tackle Ben Roberts and offensive tackle Rustin Young. That 11 also includes safety Nikai Martinez, who appeared in four games last season as a senior but has a redshirt year to use.

Some of those absences are players seeking better opportunities. Some, like West, are those who want to play for a proven contender. Some players may have been told that the program’s new direction doesn’t include them. Those are common factors in transfer decisions everywhere, let alone a program amid a coaching change.

Many of the players entering the portal are those who have already been through this type of roster turnover, when Jonathan Smith took over Mel Tucker’s program after the latter’s scandalous firing. Smith added 24 transfers in his first season and 21 in his second, through the winter and spring windows. And even then, he struggled to cultivate depth across two seasons in which he went 5-19, 4-14 in Big Ten play. This year, the portal window is condensed into one two-week period, from Friday to Jan. 16, which means Fitzgerald will have to move quickly.

Again, none of this is unexpected. Fitzgerald outlined an early action plan that started with putting together an early signing period class, hiring his staff and then recruiting transfers to fill out the roster. Those first two steps are largely done. Now, he’s got a big shopping list to fulfill in the portal.

“That’s just a reality of college football,” Fitzgerald said. “And if young men decide that this is the right fit for them, then we’re going to evaluate them like I would to make sure that that’s going to happen, and we’ll add those pieces. And if some young men decide that maybe moving on is their best decision, I would support them wholeheartedly — without a doubt.”

Fitzgerald and his staff should have lots of players to look at to fill the roster. There were reportedly more than 1,000 names in the transfer portal within an hour of midnight Friday, and that number is expected to grow as players throw their names in at more reasonable hours of the day.

There are a number of position groups that will need extra attention. Only eight offensive linemen are on the roster right now, granted six played at least a snap and five started at least one game. Only two safeties, Martinez and Aveon Grose, have played more than 100 snaps and the only cornerback to factor into meaningful reps is Chance Rucker. There isn’t a punter on the roster right now — except for quarterback Alessio Milivojevic if Fitzgerald wants to get tricky.

So, expect Michigan State to get busy the next two weeks putting together the bulk of Fitzgerald’s first roster.

MSU transfer portal players

Quarterbacks: Aidan Chiles and Ryland Jessee

Wide receivers: Nick Marsh, Chrishon McCray, Evan Boyd and Shawn Foster

Tight ends: Michael Masunas and Wyatt Hook

Running back: Makhi Frazier

Offensive linemen: Stanton Ramil, Ashton Lepo, Gavin Broscious, Kristian Phillips, Rashawn Rogers, Cole Dellinger, Justin Bell, Payton Stewart, Mercer Luniewski, Cooper Terpstra and Charlton Luniewski

Linebackers: Darius Snow, Semaj Bridgeman, Aisea Moa and Marcellius Pulliam

Defensive linemen: Alex VanSumeren and Jalen Thompson

Edge rushers: David Santiago, Stone Chaney and Tyler Gillison

Defensive backs: Aydan West, Ade Willie, Chance Rucker, Justin Denson Jr., Jeremiah Hughes, George Mullins, Elisha West, Tracy Revels and Armorion Smith

Long snapper: Kaden Schickel

Kicker: Martin Connington

ORLANDO, Fla. – New Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham, appearing on the UM radio network during the Citrus Bowl, where he’s in attendance, said he spent the last four days, since being formally introduced Sunday, interviewing every current player.

Whittingham said in total, he spent 24 hours talking to the players at the team hotel and added he has spoken with about 20 parents. Whittingham, who spent the last 21 seasons coaching Utah, was hired on Dec. 26. He arrived in Orlando Saturday night and watched the Michigan-Texas bowl game from a suite on Wednesday.

“It’s very apparent this team has a lot of character individuals,” Whittingham said during the radio broadcast.

He has not yet watched film of the players and planned to use this game to get a head start, but said he spent most of the first half on the phone with donors.

Whittingham said he will be in Ann Arbor on Friday and anticipates having most of his staff in place. He is retaining current Michigan running backs coach Tony Alford.

“We should be just about full force by this weekend. Might be short one or two,” Whittingham said, saying he needs to also hire analysts. “We should be full strength within a week.”

The transfer portal opens Jan. 2 for 15 days. Whittingham said roster retention is his priority, and when he arrives in Ann Arbor he plays to “lock” himself in the building to watch film. He will then turn his focus to the portal.

“We’re flying the airplane while we’re building it,” he said.

Whittingham was asked about Michigan’s rivalry games against Michigan State and Ohio State, with particular emphasis on the Buckeyes.

“It’s huge,” Whittingham said of the UM-OSU game. “A good friend of mine, Urban Meyer, has indoctrinated me with that.”

Jon Jansen, the UM radio analyst and former two-time captain, asked if that friendship with Meyer will change.

“We’ll find out,” Whittingham said. “He just called me an hour ago; I missed it. Maybe he called to break things off.”

What are their futures at Michigan?

Linebacker Cole Sullivan said he had a “great” meeting with Whittingham.

“I really, really like him and what he’s bringing to this team and this program,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said that as far as his future, he wasn’t certain.

“There’s too many uncertainties at this point, but I love this university,” Sullivan said.

Bryson Kuzdzal, who led the team in rushing in the bowl game, said he’s planning on returning to Michigan.

“That’s where I want to be,” he said.

Kendrick Bell, who caught his first career touchdown in the Citrus Bowl, said his decision is made and he is “100%” returning.

“Michigan through and through,” Bell said.

Marshall didn’t feel he could play

Jordan Marshall, the team’s leading rusher, was still hampered by an injury to his right shoulder and decided Monday he didn’t think he could play.

“There’s these things where you’re medically cleared but nobody knows your body like you do,” interim head coach Biff Poggi said. “He was medically cleared but he just didn’t feel like he could go, and he’d been banged up for a while.

“He’s the type of player, his physicality is what makes him special, so if he doesn’t feel right, especially in the upper body, that’s hard.”

Quotable

Sullivan on saying goodbye to teammates and coaches: “I don’t know if it’s goodbye or see ya later. Hopefully, we cross paths again. It was an honor to be able to play with those guys. So grateful for them and everything they’ve poured into me.”