Michigan State’s season is going to hinge, in part, on a few players who aren’t exactly household names. With 62 new faces in the program, the Spartans are leaning on uncertainty anyway - and that opens the door for a handful of returners and transfers to catch people by surprise.
The biggest name in that group might be Alessio Milivojevic, even if he isn’t being talked about like the quarterback who will drag MSU out of its recent hole. Sports Illustrated’s Zach Koons ranked Milivojevic 62nd out of 68 starting quarterbacks in the Power Four conferences, but there’s reason to think that number could look silly by season’s end.
When he was given the job with four games left in the 2025 season, he averaged nearly 250 yards per start and threw seven touchdowns against two interceptions. Pat Fitzgerald saw him at Iowa for his third start and came away impressed with his toughness.
Milivojevic’s setup looks better, too. Nick Sheridan has a strong history with quarterbacks, and the list of players he’s coached or recruited who reached the NFL includes Ty Simpson, Jalen Milroe, Michael Penix Jr., Joshua Dobbs, and Mike White.
On top of that, Michigan State’s rebuilt offensive line looks closer to functional than it has in a while. The Spartans used the transfer portal to put together a more experienced group, and there’s more depth up front than there was a year ago.
Another player who looks poised to jump is second-year tight end Jayden Savoury. He’s been one of the standouts in fall camp so far, and he and Brennan Parachek appear to be the top two tight ends in the room.
Savoury’s lone catch last season went for 16 yards against Boston College, but it was a memorable one. He’s already been identified as an early camp winner because of his catch radius and hands, and Sheridan has also praised the way he’s developed as a blocker.
The physical changes jump off the page, too: Savoury is up from 240 pounds to 253, and his listed height has gone from 6'4" to 6'5". That makes him one of the more promising young players in the program.
At receiver, Charles Taplin is another name that could sneak up on people. The second-year wideout was not expected to move this fast, but he now seems on track to start for Michigan State this season.
That’s a notable climb for someone who was the second-lowest-rated scholarship recruit in the Spartans’ 2025 class. Taplin caught just one pass for eight yards as a true freshman, but wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins says he’s one of the fastest players on the roster, which points to a role as one of MSU’s main deep threats.
Tre Bell might have the clearest path to a true breakout. He came to East Lansing from Iowa State this winter after following cornerbacks coach Hank Poteat, and before that he spent three seasons at Lindenwood at the FCS level.
This will be the first time in his college career that he’s expected to start right away. At Lindenwood, he started only five of 20 games.
Last season at Iowa State, he began as a rotational corner before injuries opened the door and he started the final eight games, playing well enough to suggest there’s more in there. Poteat seemed to get something out of him, and Bell looks ready for another step in his only season at Michigan State.
Michigan State also brought in another portal corner who should help right away in Tyran Chappell. The Houston Christian transfer is listed as the third cornerback on the depth chart, so he may not open as a starter, but he should still see plenty of snaps.
Chappell posted four interceptions last season at the FCS level and earned First Team All-Southland honors. At 6'3", he brings real size to the position, even if 247Sports had him outside the top 2,000 in its portal rankings.
The ranking may not matter much once he gets on the field.
In Other News...
Michigan State Suddenly Has A Shot At A Huge Recruiting Flip
Michigan State still has reason to stay engaged on Gideon Gash, even after the four-star cornerback verbally committed to Texas Tech. The Spartans have been in the mix throughout his recruitment, and Pat Fitzgerald is still pushing to keep that conversation alive as the staff looks for ways to strengthen the secondary with one of the more sought-after defensive backs in the class.
Gashs family ties make the situation especially notable for Michigan State, since he is the younger brother of current Spartans Samson Gash and Caleb Gash. He also drew serious interest from Alabama and Oklahoma along the way, so this was never a one-school decision, and the door appears to remain open just enough to keep the Spartans watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Just Made A Hire That Raises Expectations Fast
Michigan State has moved quickly to fill its athletic director opening, turning to Western Michigan AD Dan Bartholomae after J Batt departed for Kentucky. It is the kind of hire that immediately signals ambition, especially for a program looking to keep pace in a changing Big Ten landscape and wanting an administrator with a recent track record of building momentum.
Bartholomae leaves Western Michigan after a run marked by record fundraising and notable on-field success, including a MAC football championship and a national title in men's ice hockey. The financial part of the move is notable too, with Michigan State set to pay a buyout that will be largely offset by the money coming back from Kentucky for Batt, easing the cost of a transition that comes with heightened expectations from the start. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Faces A Season-Defining Stretch In Pat Fitzgeralds Year 1
Pat Fitzgeralds first season in East Lansing comes with a schedule that quickly asks Michigan State to show whether it can turn a fresh start into real momentum. The Spartans have a handful of non-conference chances to settle in before the Big Ten grind begins, but the bigger picture is whether this group can handle the leagues usual run of physical, week-to-week challenges and put itself in position to keep playing into the fall.
What makes the opener to conference play so important is the stretch of games that looks manageable on paper before the schedule hardens. ESPNs College Football Power Index gives Michigan State a path to a bowl if it can take advantage of those early opportunities, but that margin can disappear fast once the tougher Big Ten matchups arrive. For Fitzgerald and a roster trying to define itself under a new staff, the first few league weekends may end up shaping the entire season. [Read more 🡒]