Why Early Results From MSU Freshman QB Coffman are Stellar

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The future under center at Michigan State is bright. MSU's true freshman quarterback is one reason for that.

Kayd Coffman, an in-state get for the Spartans from East Kentwood who stayed committed and signed early despite a coaching change, has been spinning it well during his first collegiate practices. He was the second-highest-ranked recruit in MSU's 2026 recruiting class, holding four-star status at 240th overall on the Rivals Industry Rankings (No. 16 quarterback).

"As an early enrollee quarterback, he's just jumped into the deep end and really embraced it," head coach Pat Fitzgerald said about Coffman on Tuesday.

Coffman isn't going to be challenging for the starting job or anything; Fitzgerald has already publicly named Alessio Milivojevic as QB1 (to nobody's surprise). He won't even be QB2 this year, which is almost certainly to be sixth-year UCF transfer, Cam Fancher. Down the road, though, Coffman has more than enough potential to be "the guy."

Adaptability

Something that quarterbacks coach John McNulty has liked so far has been how quickly Coffman has been able to adjust to mistakes. He's still going to make those "freshman" mistakes, but that's what the redshirt season is for.

"He learns from [his mistakes], and the next day, it doesn't happen again," McNulty said about what he likes about Coffman.

Coffman's intelligence has also stood out. McNulty said he's given the quarterbacks some quizzes during the winter and spring. Coffman has done well enough on those tests that McNulty joked that he might have a photographic memory.

"You get [the quiz] back, and it's word-for-word, exactly what you said in the meeting, every word..." McNulty. "He's able to take it to the field as well. For a young guy, he really has a good feel for the game."

April 16, 2026; East Lansing, Mich.; Michigan State Spartans quarterbacks coach John McNulty speaks after a spring practice at the Skandalaris Football Center. | Jacob Cotsonika, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Coffman is also a big threat with his arm and his legs. If the Spartans didn't seem to be leading his recruitment, he probably would have gotten more attention from other schools. Even then, he still got offers from Colorado, Iowa State, Duke, and Ole Miss.

Having a dual-threat quarterback who is also getting early praise as a coachable guy who adapts quickly is the kind of thing coaches salivate over. Add in the fact that Coffman is a Michigan native who never wavered in his commitment to the program, even when he could have, in an era as transactional as any. Between Milivojevic and Coffman in the same room, fans have reason to be very optimistic.

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