Michigan State basketball’s next roster may not be set, after all.
The Spartans have added Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke to help solidify MSU’s frontcourt. Bonke is coming to East Lansing to help replace the void left behind by Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler. The only thing is that Kohler’s and Cooper’s collegiate careers might not necessarily be over yet.
Michigan State forward Jaxon Kohler (0) reacts after getting fouled by Connecticut guard Solo Ball (1) during the second half of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball East Regional game against UConn at Capital One Arena in Washington DC on Friday, March 27, 2026.
Michigan State lost the game 67-63. | Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Something the NCAA and President Charlie Baker seem to be trying to implement is the “five-in-five” rule. Even with all the dramatic shifts in recent years to college sports, from NIL to the transfer portal, to conference realignment, this one would be right up there.
The proposed change would make eligibility more age-based, rather than based on how many years someone has played college sports. It would give athletes five years from the time they graduate from high school or whenever they turn 19, whichever comes first. Redshirts and medical waivers would basically become a thing of the past.
Impact on MSU
(L to R) Michigan State basketball player Jeremy Fears Jr. and teammate Carson Cooper laugh while talking about their head coach Tom Izzo during a press conference at Capital One Arena in Washington DC on Thursday, March 26, 2026.
The Spartans play the University of Connecticut on Friday evening in the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball East Regional. | Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
If the NCAA enacts this new rule in the coming months, that might mean Kohler and Cooper become eligible again. There are still questions on whether outgoing seniors would be grandfathered into the system, but it’s hard to imagine the NCAA not receiving a ton of legal pushback if it were to initially not allow four-year seniors to play.
Every four-year senior becoming eligible again would cause a massive ripple effect across college sports. Teams cannot rely entirely on those players becoming eligible right now, so they’ve been filling spots in the transfer portal.
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo lays into Michigan State guard Trey Fort (9) during a time out in the first half of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball East Regional game against UConn at Capital One Arena in Washington DC on Friday, March 27, 2026. | Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Roster Space Problems
MSU currently has 14 players rostered for 2026-27. If no one on the team is classified as a DSA (designated student-athlete), the Spartans wouldn’t have space for both Kohler and Cooper, since the roster limit is 15. The NCAA would probably have to create a one-time transfer portal period for this exact situation.
Michigan State’s Jaxon Kohler yells after being introduced as a starter before a game against Northwestern at the Breslin Center on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI
Michigan State might have to tell somebody on the current roster to go elsewhere, or Kohler or Cooper would have to pick another squad. Both of them would command some nice NIL dollars in the transfer portal as productive starters on the team that was the No. 9 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Plenty of teams will be dealing with this problem, but it’s definitely a problem that’s okay to have. Bringing back Cooper and/or Kohler would give the Spartans another starting-caliber forward or center and make MSU, a team that can easily go 11-12 deep next season, even deeper.
Apr 22, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Michigan State head basketball coach Tom Izzo watches during the first half of the game between the Detroit Pistons and the Orlando Magic during game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow