MSU Football's 5 Most Important Returning Players for 2026 Season

Nearly half of Michigan State's roster this season is new in some way, whether they're an incoming freshman or a transfer. Lots of roster turnover is natural these days with the transfer portal, but MSU experienced that and then some in the wake of another coaching change.

The Spartans lost 45 players to the transfer portal and have brought in 32. Those who decided to stick around will be absolutely critical to Michigan State's hopes of a turnaround this fall, though, especially these five:

WR Chrishon McCray

Wide receiver is a huge question mark for MSU at the moment. There are a bunch of plausible options for the Spartans right now to start, but hardly any proven ones. The only truly proven player is Chrishon McCray. He transferred to Michigan State from Kent State last season and was MSU's starting slot receiver last year.

It felt like McCray was underutilized most of the year. He finished with 24 catches, 330 yards, and three touchdowns during his first season with the team. So much of MSU's passing game was deeper concepts to either Nick Marsh or Omari Kelly, and that limited the number of targets McCray really got in the short-to-intermediate range.

McCray could very well be Alessio Milivojevic's favorite target this season. That's how it appeared to be during the spring game in April, and McCray had his best game of the 2025 season against Iowa when Milivojevic was at quarterback.

Michigan State is lucky to still have McCray, even. McCray originally entered the transfer portal during the winter, but Pat Fitzgerald, wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins, and offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan did enough to get McCray to withdraw from the portal and return to East Lansing.

RT Conner Moore

Any offensive improvement for MSU this season starts with an improvement from the offensive line. Conner Moore is the only returning starter for Michigan State up front. He should be at right tackle this fall, though he was getting reps at right guard during the spring, a position he hasn't played a snap of in a live game during college.

He was behind center Matt Gulbin, who was drafted in the sixth round this year by the Washington Commanders. Moore will be looked to as a leader on the offensive line this season, especially as one of Milivojevic's two main protectors.

DL Ben Roberts

The role of Ben Roberts will have a big hand in the success of Michigan State's defense as a whole. One of my biggest concerns for Spartan football this season is the lack of depth at defensive tackle, and Roberts hasn't been able to stay completely healthy during either of his years with MSU after transferring in from Oregon ahead of the 2024 campaign.

Roberts is a very effective player when he is healthy. He started in six of his seven appearances last year and was the highest-graded interior defensive lineman on the Spartan roster in 2025. There is a phrase that goes, "the best ability is availability," though, and Michigan State can hardly afford to dip into its bench very much at defensive tackle.

LB Jordan Hall

I was between Jordan Hall and Nikai Martinez for this other spot. Martinez was a sorely missed piece in the Spartans' secondary last season (consider him an honorable mention), but Hall was probably MSU's best player period last year. He led Michigan State in tackles, was great in coverage, and was probably the team's biggest, most vocal leader through a very difficult season.

The list of players more irreplaceable than Hall is extremely short, if it exists at all. Maybe there's Marsh; maybe Gulbin is on it. Hall should be MSU's best player again this year, and what could help is some added depth in the linebacker room. He's just the type of player who raises the floor of the entire front seven.

QB Alessio Milivojevic

If there is any player from the 2025 roster I truly wanted to keep, it's Milivojevic. I wouldn't call him the most irreplaceable player --- there are always tons of quarterbacks in the transfer portal --- but I will admit that Milivojevic won me over during his four starts last season.

He stayed tough behind an offensive line that was atrocious at times and delivered some impressive throws consistently. Milivojevic sometimes holds onto the ball too long and isn't the most talented quarterback you'll ever see, but he's a quarterback who can make things happen. With three years of eligibility left, the ceiling for Milivojevic at Michigan State is very high.

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