Projecting MSU's QB Depth Chart Following Spring Practices
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It's back to the offseason after 15 spring practices for Michigan State football.
The Spartans have four quarterbacks on the roster. MSU's Week 1 starter will be different this season after last season's starter, Aidan Chiles, transferred to Northwestern. Here is where the projected depth chart stands right now:
QB1 - Alessio Milivojevic (R-So.)
Solidly at the top of the depth chart is redshirt sophomore Alessio Milivojevic, who started the last four games of the 2025 season and performed well. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald has already publicly named Milivojevic as the starting quarterback.
The tape from those four games is a big reason why. Milivojevic proved himself to be a gamer. He threw for 311 yards during his first career start at Minnesota and then led Michigan State to its only Big Ten win of the season in the season finale against Maryland, netting 292 yards, four touchdowns, and just the one interception.
As just a redshirt sophomore, this can be Milivojevic's team and program from this point forward. Fitzgerald has raved about Milivojevic's leadership qualities to this point. We'll have to see how Milivojevic responds to the defensive adjustments teams make to him as they get more tape and notice more tendencies, but the ability to stand in the pocket, stay tough, and deliver accurate passes while sometimes being hit is a heck of a quality.
Milivojevic becoming a bit more mobile would be a nice added dimension to his game, but he has already shown he can succeed as a pocket passer. A new-and-hopefully-improved offensive line in front of him could help with that as well.
QB2 - Cam Fancher (Gr.-6)
Likely solidly in at the primary backup spot is UCF transfer Cam Fancher. MSU fans might remember him from the 2024 season opener against Florida Atlantic, when Fancher started and ran the ball a career-high 25 times (while his helmet fell off a few times).
Fancher then went to UCF in 2025, but he only played in three games (two starts) due to injury. That granted him a sixth year of eligibility, which he will use in East Lansing despite knowing that he won't be the starter.
Across Fancher's whole career at Marshall, FAU, and UCF, he's accumulated 5,627 career passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns, and 23 interceptions. His ability to scramble and run has added 1,292 yards on the ground with nine more scores.
Grabbing Fancher from the portal to be a QB2 was a nice get for Michigan State. You don't want to imagine Milivojevic going down, but you have to be ready for the possibility. Having another experienced quarterback on the roster is a luxury.
QB3 - Kayd Coffman (Fr.)
In the third slot is probably true freshman Kayd Coffman, who entered action ahead of redshirt freshman Leo Hannan on Saturday during MSU's "Spring Showcase." Coffman has the tools, both with his arm and his legs, to be a really good quarterback at the collegiate level.
Coffman has been receiving compliments from the staff this spring. Quarterbacks coach John McNulty joked that Coffman has a photographic memory and also said that it's rare to see him make the same mistake multiple times in a row. Fitzgerald also shouted out Coffman last Tuesday as someone who had been sticking out a bit.
It'll take some time for Coffman to work the kinks out and be a Big Ten-ready quarterback, but he's off to a good start. Coffman was the second-highest-ranked recruit in the Spartans' 2026 class, getting four-star status at 240th overall on the Rivals Industry Rankings. He was also Michigan State's top-ranked early enrollee.
QB4 - Leo Hannan (R-Fr.)
Probably at the bottom is redshirt freshman Leo Hannan. It's not necessarily anything he's done; it's just that there is experience already at MSU and a new, blue-chip recruit entering the program. Hannan was ranked 967th overall in the class of 2025 and 58th among all quarterbacks.
Hannan didn't appear in a game last year, filling in the QB3 role behind Chiles and Milivojevic. There were a few games where he was the primary backup when Milivojevic was starting, and Chiles had an injury. His status at QB4 here makes it seem like he's further away than he really is.
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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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