Michigan State QB Signee Named Most Important Freshman
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Michigan State football has undergone significant changes this offseason. Jonathan Smith was fired after a disappointing 4–8 season, and Pat Fitzgerald was hired as the Spartans’ new head coach.
With a coaching change, recruits always have the option to decommit and reopen their recruitment. However, Fitzgerald and his staff were able to keep the class largely intact, as 19 of Michigan State’s 20 commits signed with the Spartans.
ESPN recently updated its 2026 recruiting class rankings, placing Michigan State just outside the top 50 at No. 51 nationally. The Spartans’ highest-ranked offensive signee is quarterback Kayd Coffman, who is ranked No. 280 overall in the ESPN 300 and is Michigan State’s only signee on that list.
ESPN analysts Craig Haubert, Eli Lederman, and Tom Luginbill also released a breakdown identifying each program’s most important recruit in the 2026 class. Coffman was named Michigan State’s most important signee.
Quarterback remains a position of focus for the Spartans. Michigan State will be without Aidan Chiles next season after he entered the transfer portal. Chiles lost his starting role following a subpar performance against in-state rival Michigan, after which redshirt freshman Alessio Milivojevic took over as the starter for the remainder of the season.
While Michigan State went 1-3 in games Milivojevic started, he appeared more comfortable and consistent as a passer than Chiles. With Milivojevic announcing his return, the Spartans appear to have their starting quarterback in place heading into next season.
“Alessio Milivojevic should be back in 2026, while Aidan Chiles has decided to transfer,” ESPN wrote. “But given the lack of quarterbacks on Michigan State's current depth chart, Coffman should get spring and fall camp reps, even if first-year coach Pat Fitzgerald also ends up bringing in portal talent.”
“Coffman, ESPN's No. 8 dual-threat quarterback in the 2026 class, is the Spartans' lone ESPN 300 signee atop a class that lost a number of high-profile commitments this fall as coach Jonathan Smith's brief tenure ended. Coffman combines good mechanics and a quick release with impressive mobility, all of which could eventually turn him into a playmaking quarterback capable of making throws off-balance and on the run.”
“A two-year varsity starter, Coffman will likely need time to develop into a fully college-ready passer. However, unless Fitzgerald and his staff heavily invest in the quarterback room through the transfer portal, Coffman could be part of the program’s early rotation, even if only by necessity.”
With stability beginning to return under Pat Fitzgerald, Michigan State’s 2026 recruiting class represents a reset more than a finished product. While the rankings may not yet reflect elite status, securing a quarterback like Kayd Coffman provides a foundation at the most important position.
As Fitzgerald continues to build his roster through both high school recruiting and the transfer portal, Coffman’s development could play a key role in shaping the next era of Michigan State football.
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