How MSU Football Can Exceed Expectations This Season
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Expectations for Year 1 of the Pat Fitzgerald era at Michigan State are not exactly sky-high.
The Spartans are ranked 67th in the country on ESPN's preseason SP+ rankings. That's the second-worst ranking in the Big Ten; only Purdue (82nd) is lower. Brad Crawford of CBS Sports predicted a 3-9 season for MSU last week. Personally, I still have MSU in that 5-7 range, but there are reasons to believe this year's team can reach higher.
Improvements on Special Teams
A new coaching staff comes with intriguing possibilities. Fitzgerald's biggest move in that department might have quietly been the hiring of special teams coordinator LeVar Woods. Offensive and defensive coordinator hirings get most of the attention, but getting Woods is a key step in ensuring the "little things" get done right.
Woods is one of the best special teams coordinators in college football. It's been proven multiple times over during his time at Iowa. He's developed elite specialists and has also consistently done very well schematically. Fitzgerald landing Woods felt like a bit of a stunner; Woods is an Iowa alum and had been on the staff in some capacity since 2008.
His arrival in East Lansing has brought a flurry of portal activity. The Spartans now have a new kicker, punter, long snapper, and kick returner, all of whom were at different schools last season.
Special teams were among the things that stood between Michigan State and a bowl game last year. MSU went 4-8 last season, but it was really closer than it seemed to reaching that six-win mark. The Spartans had a punt blocked for a touchdown against Nebraska, as well as a muffed kickoff. That took away a possession and completely swung the momentum in the Cornhuskers' favor.
Woods also helped steal a victory from Michigan State when it went to Iowa later in the year. Return specialist Kaden Wetjen returned a punt for a touchdown and had some other big returns that helped lead to points during the Hawkeyes' come-from-behind win.
Flipping Woods over to MSU can be the thing that helps the Spartans win close games. Winning games on the margins is where Iowa has thrived and remained consistent. Michigan State isn't going to really be able to out-talent many teams right now, so getting a top-tier special teams coach was a very wise move.
Alessio Milivojevic
The key is quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, though. He's been getting slept on nationally this offseason, often being placed towards the bottom of Big Ten quarterback lists. This is despite Milivojevic's strong run at the end of 2025 when he took over for Aidan Chiles.
Milivojevic threw for 986 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions during his four starts against Minnesota, Penn State, Iowa, and Maryland. He looked especially strong against the Golden Gophers and Terrapins. Milivojevic went for 311 passing yards against Minnesota and then had 292 yards and four scores against Maryland.
This coming season will be the first in which Milivojevic will have the full 12-game schedule to prove himself. What he showed last season as a redshirt freshman seemed enough to me that the expectation of Milivojevic at least being a mid-tier Big Ten quarterback isn't unreasonable whatsoever.
He can take a beating in the pocket and yet remains poised enough that he still delivers into tight windows. Milivojevic will have to avoid holding onto the ball too long, but that is a fixable issue that can be solved with experience and increased confidence.
Finding a Surprise Playmaker
Perhaps the biggest concern on paper is the lack of proven playmakers in the pass game. MSU lost both Nick Marsh and Omari Kelly during the offseason, and someone needs to step in and become a go-to guy in the pass game.
Wide receiver Chrishon McCray would be my early guess to be the leading receiver right now. He had 24 catches for 330 yards and three touchdowns last season. McCray felt underutilized, though, and that might change in 2026. He seemed to be Milivojevic's favorite target during April's spring game, and McCray's best game last season came with Milivojevic at QB -- a two-TD game against Iowa.
One or two other players must improve from prior roles, though. The list of potential candidates is quite long. There are incoming transfers KK Smith (Notre Dame), Fredrick Moore (Michigan), and Jameel Gardner Jr. (Jackson State). True freshman Samson Gash could see playing time immediately. Redshirt freshmen Charles Taplin and Bryson Williams made noise during the spring. Rodney Bullard Jr. could also be a key player if the NCAA grants him his waiver.
None of those players are proven Power Four starters, though. MSU will need at least a pair of them to become one this fall.
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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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