When Pat Fitzgerald arrived in East Lansing as Michigan State’s next head coach, there was real reason to wonder whether the Spartans might lose more than one quarterback in the transition.
Aidan Chiles was probably headed out regardless once Jonathan Smith was fired, but Alessio Milivojevic had a tougher call to make. With coaching uncertainty hanging over the program, would he follow the path of quarterbacks like Chiles, Katin Houser, Noah Kim, Payton Thorne, and Sam Leavitt and move on too?
Instead, Milivojevic bought in quickly.
Fitzgerald made it clear he’s been impressed by how the sophomore has handled the change, praising both his leadership and the way he has embraced the new staff. Speaking to the Big Ten Network, Fitzgerald said Milivojevic has been involved in every part of the process, from representing the program to helping recruit in the transfer portal.
"He went to every portal visit; he was at every meal." @MSU_Football HC Pat Fitzgerald on QB Alessio Milivojevic embracing his leadership role 👇 #B1GToday pic.twitter.com/bPV4vKmM1Y
- Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) July 20, 2026
That kind of buy-in matters, especially for a quarterback stepping into a larger role. Fitzgerald and Milivojevic are both expected to speak at Big Ten Media Days, and there should be plenty to hear from each of them about how this new partnership is taking shape in East Lansing.
Milivojevic already showed enough in 2025 to make people pay attention. After the season began with Chiles as the clear favorite, the momentum shifted after that electric win over Boston College. Things later went sideways, and the injury against Nebraska that went unchecked during the game was a major turning point.
Once the staff turned to Milivojevic, he gave them something to work with. In a handful of starts, the freshman threw for 1,267 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Now the challenge is bigger, but so is the opportunity. It’s one thing to flash as a young quarterback.
It’s another to command a room, help recruit the roster, and settle into the job as the face of the offense. According to Fitzgerald, Milivojevic is already doing those things.
That’s why the expectation around him is rising heading into 2026.
In Other News...
MSU May Be Zeroing In On A Familiar AD Candidate
Michigan States search for a new athletic director has reportedly turned toward a familiar name in the Midwest, with Western Michigan AD Dan Bartholomae emerging as a potential candidate. Bartholomae has built a reputation as a department leader who is comfortable making difficult decisions and pushing programs forward, and his rsum includes earlier stops as an executive deputy AD and chief operating officer at Oregon State.
What makes him especially intriguing for MSU is the combination of experience and momentum he brings from Kalamazoo, where he has overseen a period of stronger fundraising and a willingness to reset the football program when needed. The hurdle, of course, is getting him out of a long-term contract at WMU, which gives this search a layer of complication even before Michigan State settles on how aggressively it wants to pursue him. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Just Got An Extra Reason To Dread Arkansas
Michigan States Thanksgiving Day matchup at Little Caesars Arena already had the look of a measuring-stick game, with ranked Arkansas coming in as a serious early-season test. Now the Spartans have one more layer to think about, because the Razorbacks will bring along Davion Thompson, a true freshman whose arrival on campus came sooner than expected after he reclassified from the 2027 class into 2026.
Thompson also adds a familiar recruiting wrinkle for Michigan State. He was once a major target for the Spartans before ultimately choosing Arkansas, and his presence gives this nonconference meeting a little extra edge for a program that knows how often these November games can linger beyond the final buzzer. [Read more 🡒]
Jaxon Kohler Could Force A Major Michigan State Rotation Decision
Jaxon Kohlers offseason has become one of the more interesting variables in Michigan States roster planning, because the Spartans have already moved as if his college career was winding down. Tom Izzo and his staff recruited new pieces with that assumption in mind, adding four freshmen and a transfer to help fill the frontcourt and overall depth chart, while also trying to keep the roster balanced for another run in the Big Ten.
Now Kohlers future is tied to the NCAAs new 5-in-5 rule, and the possibility of another season would give Michigan State a very different look than the one it has been building toward. A return would meaningfully boost the teams returning production and force a real rotation decision in East Lansing, but his playing location remains uncertain for now, leaving the Spartans to prepare for one version of the roster while keeping another in the back of their minds. [Read more 🡒]