Decoding Michigan State’s Portal Strategy: Roles, Eligibility, and What the Coaches Are Really Telling Us

Portal classes are often judged by star ratings and name recognition. But the more revealing exercise is asking a different question:

What roles did the staff expect these players to fill — and for how long?

By pairing Michigan State’s portal additions with their projected 2026 roles and remaining eligibility, a clear pattern emerges. This wasn’t a volume grab or a long-term overhaul. It was a precision roster correction, built around immediate starters, rotational stability, and a small number of upside bets.

Start with the numbers, because they tell the story immediately:

• Average years remaining: 1.625

• Players with 1 year left: 14

• Players with 2 years left: 5

• Players with 3 years left: 5

That’s not an accident.

This portal class is heavily skewed toward short-term answers rather than long-term roster pillars. The staff wasn’t trying to “win the portal cycle”, they were trying to stabilize the roster fast, bridge gaps, and protect younger scholarship players from being forced into roles they aren’t ready for.

This looks like a staff saying:

“We need competence, snaps, and experience now — and we’ll develop behind it.”

Portal Additions: Role + Eligibility Breakdown

This chart tells the story better than any headline.

Name	Position	Years Remaining	2026 Role
Gulker	ATH	1	Starting chess piece
Brantley	CB	1	CB starter
Bell	CB	1	CB starter
Chappell	CB	3	CB starter
Coenen	DT	2	DT rotation
Hazelwood	DT	3	DT rotation
Soares	EDGE	1	DE rotation
Lisle	EDGE	3	DE rotation
Thompson	EDGE	1	DE rotation
Crawford	LB	1	LB starter
Stoghill	LB	1	Defensive chess piece
Wheatland	LB	1	LB starter
Fraley	OL	1	Center starter
Wright	OL	3	OT rotation
Sharpe	OL	1	Guard starter
Murawski	OL	1	Guard starter
Fancher	QB	1	QB2
Patterson	RB	1	RB2
Edwards	RB	1	RB1
Parrish	RB	3	RB3 / receiving back
Richard	Safety	2	Safety starter
Vaught	Safety	2	Safety starter
Smith	WR	2	WR depth
Moore	WR	2	WR depth

The Big Picture: Immediate Function Over Long-Term Guesswork

This class wasn’t built around who could still be here in three years. It was built around who can execute in 2026 without derailing development elsewhere.

That’s a key distinction.

Defense: Stabilize First, Develop Second

Secondary: Plug-and-Play Veterans

All 3 Corners brought in should fit into CB1-4. Two corners (Brantley and Bell) have one year left; these are not upside bets. They are meant to start or rotate heavily, buy time for younger players and raise the floor. The lone multi-year eligibility Corner (Chappel) gives a longer runway.

This is in combination with two safetys (Richard - 2 years and Vaught - 2 years), and you see a clear theme: Fix the back end immediately with adults.

The staff clearly decided the secondary was not a room to experiment with youth. With so many players leaving, they needed immediate impact and proven experience to set a baseline, then layered development behind it.

Linebacker: Defined Roles, No Ambiguity

Crawford, Stoghill, and Wheatland all have one year left. They come in from day one with plans to be starters, chess pieces and heavy rotation guys. With their experience, the floor should be high, bodies ready, line up in the right place, and general field awareness.

This isn’t a group built for competition chaos. It’s built for clarity. Every LB brought in has a job. And they all revolve around stud returner Jordan Hall.

That allows younger linebackers to develop without being rushed into responsibilities they’re not ready for.

Defensive Line & EDGE: Rotation, Not Replacement

I don't see a Game Wrecker portal on the Defensive Line. I don't think any of the adds will be asked to carry the room.

Instead:

• One-year veterans stabilize the rotation

• Three-year players develop behind them

• Snap counts are spread intentionally

These additions layer well with returning players. And the new depth will help avoid burnout and stagnation while still keeping the floor high.

Offense: Buy Time Where Development Takes Longest

Offensive Line: Adult Supervision Everywhere

Three of the OL additions (Fraley, Sharpe and Murawski) are seniors and clear front-runners to start. And a fourth will at least be in a close battle for a starting role, and still has 3 years remaining.

That’s the loudest signal in the entire class. The staff did not want:

• Young linemen learning on the fly

• Position battles dictated by inexperience

• Development accelerated unnaturally

Instead, they bought a year of stability, and that’s often the difference between a functional offense and a chaotic one. This is the biggest floor raiser of the team.

Running Back: One-Year Production, Long-Term Flexibility

The RB room is cleanly tiered:

• Edwards is RB1 (one-year)

• Patterson RB2 (one-year)

• Parrish RB3 / receiving back (three-year)

That structure protects the future while maximizing the present. RB is one of the easiest positions to find in the portal. Bringing in two one-year mercenaries and a younger player with a unique skill set bridges the gap to Tullis (Junior), and two RS-Freshmen. Clearly, the staff isn't worried about ruffling the feathers of those 3 players, two of whom haven't seen the field. Nor should they.

Quarterback & Skill Positions: Insurance, Not Identity

• Fancher (QB, 1) – Insurance policy

• Gulker (ATH, 1) – Immediate role player

• Smith (WR, 2) - Rotational WR

• Moore (WR, 2) - Rotational WR

The additions of QB2, WR depth, gadget roles aren’t meant to define the offense. They’re meant to support it. The staff didn’t chase upside here because they didn’t need to. They chased reliability.

And the two WRs offer multiple years, meaning they have time to build rapport with Milly and provide continuity beyond 2026, but don't necessarily block more talented incoming recruits. This hedging against volatility.

What This Class Really Reveals About the Staff

When you align roles + eligibility, the philosophy becomes obvious:

1. Fix the floor immediately

2. Avoid forcing youth into starting roles

3. Isolate development to positions where patience matters

4. Preserve roster flexibility beyond 2026

This wasn’t a portal class built to impress fans in January. It was built to make Saturdays calmer in October.

Final Thought

Michigan State didn’t use the portal to reinvent itself. They used it to stabilize the roster, define roles clearly, and buy developmental runway.

That may not generate splashy headlines — but it’s exactly how staffs regain control of a program.