Michigan State Football Positional Preview: Quarterbacks
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Michigan State has an interesting crop of players at football's most important position.
The Spartans didn't have to do much to find their QB1, despite a coaching change. Alessio Milivojevic played well enough during the final four games of the season to earn a shot as MSU's full-time guy. More info on Milivojevic, all his fellow quarterbacks, and the relevant staff is below:
What To Know About QBs Coach John McNulty
Michigan State's new quarterbacks coach is John McNulty. Pat Fitzgerald originally hired Mike Bajakian, his former OC at Northwestern, for the role, but Bajakian left East Lansing after just a couple of months for the QB coaching job with the Cleveland Browns.
McNulty worked with OC Nick Sheridan at Alabama during the 2024 season and was a senior offensive analyst at Rutgers last year. He's also been the QB coach at Rutgers during two different stints, and with the Arizona Cardinals, the Tennessee Titans, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Starter: Alessio Milivojevic
Fitzgerald hasn't left any doubt about who his first QB1 during his time at MSU would be. Keeping Milivojevic was one of his first priorities. He named Milivojevic as the starting quarterback very informally during the spring, indicating that his status was never going to be challenged during the offseason or before the season.
Milivojevic showed he has the chops to become a solid starting quarterback in the Big Ten last year. He averaged nearly 250 passing yards during his four starts for the Spartans last fall. That came with seven passing touchdowns and just two interceptions (one of them being a very inconsequential one at the end of a half). Michigan State was much more competitive during those games, winning only one but coming excruciatingly close to winning two others.
The key for Milivojevic will be how quickly he can get rid of the ball. There were times when it felt like he held onto the rock too long, which is normal for a young quarterback, though there were also times when he showed he could stay tough in the pocket until the last second and then deliver a pass.
I'm very bullish on Milivojevic, overall. Michigan State's rebuilt offensive line (at least on paper) should be a step or two above what Milivojevic had to work with last year. We'll have to see what receivers and tight ends he has at his disposal most often, too, but the ceiling for Milivojevic is very high with three remaining years of eligibility.
QB2: Cam Fancher
If Milivojevic cannot play for whatever reason, UCF transfer Cam Fancher would enter the game. He's probably one of the most experienced backup quarterbacks in college football. Fancher is a sixth-year senior with 28 career starts, 5,627 passing yards, and 1,292 career rushing yards. He actually won the UCF starting job coming out of training camp last year, but injuries kept him to just three games, two of which were starts.
What's interesting about choosing Fancher as a backup is that he's entirely different from Milivojevic. Michigan State's QB1 is a relatively textbook pocket-passer, while Fancher utilizes his legs a lot. He actually started a game against MSU while at Florida Atlantic in the 2024 season opener and finished with a career-high 25 rushing attempts for 67 yards. Fancher is also a lefty, so that would be a different look (and spin) for the Spartans' receivers.
QB3a: Leo Hannan
Filling out the room's depth is second-year quarterback Leo Hannan. He didn't appear in a game during his true freshman campaign with Michigan State, though he was Milivojevic's primary backup for a couple of games while Aidan Chiles was hurt. Hannan strays more towards the pocket-passer side of the quarterback spectrum, but he is still a minor threat with his legs.
QB3b: Kayd Coffman
One of MSU's most promising incoming recruits is Kayd Coffman. The former 4-star prospect committed to the Spartans relatively early last cycle and never wavered in his commitment through the coaching change. Coffman impressed me during the spring game back in April, showing off some nice arm talent and dual-threat ability. He's got a bright future in this sport.
QB5: Peyton Babbit
The Spartans also brought in Muskegon, Mich., native Peyton Babbit as a preferred walk-on this offseason, flipping him from Saginaw Valley State. He interestingly chose jersey No. 23. Babbit was a dual-threat player in high school, throwing for 1,084 yards with 15 touchdowns while rushing for 503 yards and another four scores during his junior year. Babbit only got into four games as a senior due to an injury.
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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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