Pat Fitzgerald's Connection with Local Talent Paves Way for Michigan State Football Team
Newly appointed coach Pat Fitzgerald is already making waves in his first stint back at Michigan State, having rekindled relationships with local high school coaches and securing a commitment from Lincoln-Way East long snapper Trey Serauskis. This development has sparked hopes that the Spartans will become an attractive option for top Chicago-area talent.
Fitzgerald's proven track record in recruiting local players is well-documented. During his tenure at Northwestern, he successfully plucked several talented athletes from the Chicago area, with many of them going on to achieve success at the next level. One notable example is Joe Spivak, a defensive lineman who turned down scholarship offers to join the Wildcats and has since become a pro wrestler.
The new coach's return to college football comes after he spent three seasons as a volunteer assistant at Loyola while awaiting his formal appointment. Fitzgerald's experience and reputation preceded him when he met with Montini's Mike Bukovsky, who described him as "a stand-up guy" and someone he would have no trouble recommending to prospective recruits.
Bukovsky's sentiments were echoed by LeVar Woods, who joined Fitzgerald's staff at Iowa for 18 years before joining the new coaching team. Serauskis had also previously connected with Woods, but it was Fitzgerald who ultimately secured his commitment. "I felt that genuine connection," Serauskis said of their meeting.
With Serauskis' signing, Michigan State now boasts two local players in its 2026 class, following the early signee Zach Washington from St. Francis. The influx of Chicago-area talent could signal a significant shift in the Spartans' recruiting strategy under Fitzgerald's leadership. As he gets back to work, it is clear that Fitzgerald's connections with local coaches and players are an asset that will help him build a strong foundation for the team moving forward.
Fitzgerald's commitment to building relationships with local talent and his reputation as a coach who can develop players from Chicago-area schools make him well-positioned to attract top recruits. With the signing of Serauskis, it appears that Michigan State is finally starting to fit right in as a player on the local recruiting scene.
While Fitzgerald inherits some talent from St. Francis, including quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, he will need to continue his efforts to build relationships with local coaches and players if he hopes to make the Spartans a force to be reckoned with in Big Ten country. For now, Serauskis' commitment is an encouraging sign that Fitzgerald's new tenure is off to a strong start.
Newly appointed coach Pat Fitzgerald is already making waves in his first stint back at Michigan State, having rekindled relationships with local high school coaches and securing a commitment from Lincoln-Way East long snapper Trey Serauskis. This development has sparked hopes that the Spartans will become an attractive option for top Chicago-area talent.
Fitzgerald's proven track record in recruiting local players is well-documented. During his tenure at Northwestern, he successfully plucked several talented athletes from the Chicago area, with many of them going on to achieve success at the next level. One notable example is Joe Spivak, a defensive lineman who turned down scholarship offers to join the Wildcats and has since become a pro wrestler.
The new coach's return to college football comes after he spent three seasons as a volunteer assistant at Loyola while awaiting his formal appointment. Fitzgerald's experience and reputation preceded him when he met with Montini's Mike Bukovsky, who described him as "a stand-up guy" and someone he would have no trouble recommending to prospective recruits.
Bukovsky's sentiments were echoed by LeVar Woods, who joined Fitzgerald's staff at Iowa for 18 years before joining the new coaching team. Serauskis had also previously connected with Woods, but it was Fitzgerald who ultimately secured his commitment. "I felt that genuine connection," Serauskis said of their meeting.
With Serauskis' signing, Michigan State now boasts two local players in its 2026 class, following the early signee Zach Washington from St. Francis. The influx of Chicago-area talent could signal a significant shift in the Spartans' recruiting strategy under Fitzgerald's leadership. As he gets back to work, it is clear that Fitzgerald's connections with local coaches and players are an asset that will help him build a strong foundation for the team moving forward.
Fitzgerald's commitment to building relationships with local talent and his reputation as a coach who can develop players from Chicago-area schools make him well-positioned to attract top recruits. With the signing of Serauskis, it appears that Michigan State is finally starting to fit right in as a player on the local recruiting scene.
While Fitzgerald inherits some talent from St. Francis, including quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, he will need to continue his efforts to build relationships with local coaches and players if he hopes to make the Spartans a force to be reckoned with in Big Ten country. For now, Serauskis' commitment is an encouraging sign that Fitzgerald's new tenure is off to a strong start.
. It's awesome to see him building those relationships and securing commitments from top Chicago-area players. His track record speaks for itself, and it's no surprise he's attracting the best of the best. With Zach Washington already on board, this new class is shaping up to be a game-changer. Now, let's hope Fitzgerald can keep the momentum going and make Michigan State a household name in the Big Ten! 
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And LeVar Woods said the same thing! It's cool that he has connections with local coaches and players, I mean, you can tell it's gonna help him build a strong team 
just thinkin bout all the young players gettin hurt out there is makin me nervous 
meanwhile, it's great that they got Trey Serauskis on board, but we all know how recruiting works in college sports... a lot can go wrong 
but like at the same time, how much of it is just good old networking and not actually helping these kids become better players? 
he's already getting chicago-area talent to commit, which is cool i guess, but what's his real plan for building a strong team? 
but that's still not proof that fitzgerald can do it consistently. i mean, trey serauskis' commitment might be a good sign, but we'll have to see how he holds up when the big games come around 
. I'm excited to see how this plays out and if we'll start seeing some of that Chicago-area talent show up at Spartan Stadium soon! 
. I mean, he's basically got the whole local talent scene locked down, and it's crazy how quickly he's rekindling relationships with coaches and players. It's almost like he's trying to create a sense of community around MSU football, you know? And let's be real, if he can get in good with the local guys, that's gotta count for something in the recruiting wars 
. Fitzgerald's focus on building relationships with local coaches and players is really paying off, and I think he's well-positioned to attract top recruits 
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. It's great to see him building relationships with folks like Mike Bukovsky and LeVar Woods, they're giving him the thumbs up 
. They need to start attracting top players from out of state, or they're gonna get left behind 
. Fitzgerald's got some baggage from his Northwestern days too, I'm not convinced he can win over the hearts and minds of top recruits 
? I don't think so 
. Time will tell if Fitzgerald's connections pay off or if it's all just hot air 
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. Of course, there's still work to be done, but this is a promising start for Fitzgerald and the Spartans 
. The dude knows how to connect with local talent and get 'em excited about wearin' Spartan green 
. It's like he's got a finger on the pulse of what Chicago-area kids are lookin' for in a college program.
. It's not just about slappin' up some talent, it's about creatin' an environment where they can thrive.
You know what's really cool about this story? It's not just about Pat Fitzgerald getting his chance to lead the Spartans again, it's about how he's building relationships and making a genuine connection with local coaches and players 
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. Fitzgerald needs to prove he can execute that more than just make connections 
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But, let's be real, recruiting is a long game... 
It's gonna take more than just one signing to make the Spartans a serious contender in Big Ten country.