EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State football is back.The Spartans are officially starting fall camp on Thursday morning at the Skandalaris Football Center. MSU has 29 days to prepare from Thursday until its Week 1 game against Toledo on Friday, Sept. 4 (8 p.m. ET kickoff, FS1). Continue to check back here for little notes, tidbits, and links to Spartan Nation's free-to-read coverage from inside the building:Thursday, August 6 Schedule & CoverageNov 29, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic (11) prepares to take a snap in the first quarter against Maryland at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe beginning of practice at around 10:45 a.m. ET will be open to media observation. Look here in the following hours for any notes. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald, along with some players, will speak in the early afternoon. Biggest Storylines Ahead of CampMichigan State's Charles Taplin catches a pass while warming up during the football Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectWho Can Emerge in WR Corps?The biggest question facing Michigan State ahead of fall camp will be which pass-catchers can break out and grab starting spots. MSU is replacing both Nick Marsh and Omari Kelly, the team's top two wideouts last season. The Spartans are bringing back starting slot receiver Chrishon McCray, but it feels like anybody's game for the spots being left behind by Marsh and Kelly. Part of this battle has to be settled off the field, too. Wideout Rodney Bullard Jr. is still awaiting a decision from the NCAA on a waiver he applied for during the winter. Bullard has played only three college seasons, but there was a year at Valdosta State where he was just a regular student. He'll be one of the contenders for a starting role if he is given the additional year of eligibility that he seeks.Michigan State's Rodney Bullard Jr. runs for a touchdown against Youngstown State during the first quarter on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectReturning second-year player Charles Taplin, true freshman Samson Gash, Notre Dame transfer KK Smith, and Michigan transfer Fredrick Moore make a group of four other contenders whose eligibility is not in question. Taplin and Bullard were the two starters during April's spring game, but those statuses are hardly secure. Second-years Braylon Collier and Bryson Williams, as well as Jackson State transfer Jameel Gardner Jr., are some wild cards to be aware of. Gardner was the third-leading receiver at Jackson State last year, Williams got into four games and got three touches (two rushes, one reception), and Collier only made one appearance.April 18, 2026; East Lansing, Mich.; Michigan State Spartans rush end Anelu Lafaele (11) walks onto the field for MSU's "Spring Showcase" at Spartan Stadium. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SIPass-Rushing QuestionsMichigan State is also looking for another jump from its room of pass-rushers. The Spartans were towards the bottom of the Big Ten in sacks last year, and they didn't add a ton of proven sack production from the transfer portal. Buffalo transfer Dion Crawford has the most with 12.0 career sacks, but he's going to play linebacker for MSU and probably won't get quite as many opportunities to get after the quarterback as he did at his previous stop.The two rush ends to know for Michigan State are Kenny Soares Jr. and Anelu Lafaele. Soares is a transfer from NC State who is switching from linebacker; he has 3.0 career sacks, with only half a sack last year. Lafaele is entering his second year with the program after transferring from Wisconsin; he got off to a quick start last year before suffering a season-ending foot injury.Michigan State's Kenny Soares Jr. prepares for a play during the football Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectWeber State transfer Keahnist Thompson and SEMO transfer Trey Lisle are two other notable additions. Thompson had 4.0 sacks in nine games last year, including a 1.5-sack day against Arizona. Lisle has some very intriguing potential with his 6'6", 254-pound frame, but he may end up being a longer-term prospect out of the portal for MSU's staff.Isaac Smith is also back for another year with the Spartans. He transferred to Michigan State from Texas Tech in the spring portal last offseason and started all 12 of MSU's games last year. Smith made 26 tackles and had one sack a year after having 2.5 for the Red Raiders.Michigan State's Brennan Parachek runs after a catch against Prairie View A&M during the fourth quarter on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectTE CompetitionThe tight ends are another point of intrigue for Michigan State this fall. MSU has four or five unproven tight ends in the running for some playing time. The top two from last year, Jack Velling and Michael Masunas, both left the team this offseason. Activity in the transfer portal was light at the position, too, with the Spartans only adding Ferris State transfer (and all-around athlete) Carson Gulker. Gulker won't be a traditional tight end for Michigan State. He's played quarterback and running back in the past, and there are endless ways offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan can utilize his skill set. Back with the team are Brennan Parachek, Kai Rios, and Jayden Savoury. Those three players caught just two passes combined last year, so there isn't much in-game production to go off of entering camp.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow