Michigan State Positional Preview: Linebacker Corps

As Slim Shady once yelled, “Guess who’s back?” And if your guess was Nick Faber, with the seventh installment of the MSU positional preview focusing on linebackers, then you’d be absolutely correct.

I’ll project the starters, but also help refresh your memory as to who some of these Spartans are. After a program-record number of players transferred out and transferred in, the Spartans have an entirely new look about them. So, let’s dive into the linebackers and get an idea of the guys expected to stop the run, blitz, cover and pretty much do it all on the football field.

A big question for Joe Rossi and the Spartans’ defense is how many linebackers they’re going to send out on a play-by-play basis. Sometimes, it looks more like the Spartans may be converting to a 4-2-5 defense, with two linebackers on the field at a time. However, I’m going to go with three for a traditional 4-3 defense. I’ll still call out the nickel backs next week in the secondary article.

2026 Transfer from N.C. State

Soares is a tricky guy to place as a projected starter. I didn’t include him in the projected edge-rushing starters. Instead, I held off to put Soares as a starting linebacker. His relentless pursuit of getting to the quarterback makes him one of the best edge rushers in the Big Ten.

He plays a hybrid style, but despite being a Spartan for less than half a year, Soares has already impressed enough to earn the Mr. Spartan recognition by earning the No. 1 jersey, voted on by his peers. Soares is my prediction to lead the team in sacks.

2026 Transfer from Auburn

Surprise, surprise, another transfer. The Spartans are full of them, and Wheatland may be one of the best newcomers to the team.

In Wheatland’s first three years, he started in 35 games for Maryland while accumulating 100 total tackles, 7.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. Then, last year, Wheatland tried out his talents with Auburn, where his season was cut short by injuries. He appeared in just three games and earned one total tackle.

Now, Wheatland joins a linebacking corps ready to change the narrative surrounding Spartan football.

The defensive leader for the Spartans, Hall was recently nominated as one of the 51 best linebackers in the nation by being named to the Butkus Award Watch List.

Hall returns for his fourth season with Michigan State, where he’s already amassed 35 games, 179 total tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks, four forced fumbles and more.

Hall’s standout performance as a Spartan through his first three years brought many schools trying to pry him away from East Lansing, but Hall stuck with Michigan State. He’ll look to improve his draft stock this season and possibly push himself all the way into the first round of the NFL Draft next April.

The linebacking corps are going to be the true leaders of the defense.

I say the trenches on the defensive side are the heartbeat of the defense and keep the defense pounding. That then would make the linebackers the brains of the defense, aligning everyone else up correctly and making sure they do their job, while also attacking the run and playing patiently enough to handle covering these top-tier pass catchers in the Big Ten.

The return of Spartan grad Max Bullough to coach the linebacking room may be the biggest addition of the offseason for Fitzgerald, but the plethora of incoming and returning linebackers will also help mightily in the rebound of Michigan State.