MSU's Alessio Milivojevic Hints Towards Return on Social Media
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It appears that Michigan State's young starting quarterback is going to be sticking with the Spartans, despite the change from Jonathan Smith to Pat Fitzgerald at head coach.
Alessio Milivojevic, who has three years of collegiate eligibility remaining, posted several photos from this past season on Instagram on Thursday night and simply captioned his post, "run it back," which highly implies a return to the Spartans, rather than a transfer portal entry.
This would be a massive step for Fitzgerald in his quest to keep the top talent on the current roster. Leading rusher Makhi Frazier and top receiver Nick Marsh have both announced their plans to enter the portal, but some players have also put out semi-cryptic announcements that lean towards a return, including linebacker Brady Pretzlaff, wide receiver Evan Boyd, and kicker Martin Connington.
Milivojevic finished his redshirt freshman season with 1,273 passing yards, 10 touchdown passes, and just three interceptions while appearing in nine total games, with four starts.
More on Milivojevic's 2025 Campaign
After Aidan Chiles started the first eight games of the Spartans' season this past fall, Milivojevic got his shot ahead of MSU's game against Minnesota and left no doubt that he should be the top quarterback moving forward.
The Spartans narrowly lost that game to the Golden Gophers in overtime, but Milivojevic threw for 311 yards, the most for a Michigan State QB this year, and did not commit a turnover. He continued to look sharp in the games against Penn State, Iowa, and Maryland, with Milivojevic capturing his first collegiate win as a starter during the season finale against the Terrapins.
If Milivojevic's averages from his four starts were extrapolated over a 12-game season, his projected numbers would end up at 2,958 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, and six interceptions. That would be a pretty good season.
Assuming that his Instagram post truly means that he will be back for 2026, that doesn't just show Milivojevic's commitment to Fitzgerald as the head coach, but for Michigan State's program in general.
Perhaps Milivojevic knows more about MSU's search for an offensive coordinator than everyone else does, but it's not known yet who will be calling plays into Milivojevic's helmet next season and what system that will be.
There's also the vacuum in Michigan State's wide receiver room. Marsh is entering the portal, but second-leading receiver Omari Kelly is also out of eligibility, as is top tight end Jack Velling.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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