Grading MSU's Offensive Position Groups Following Spring Ball

There are lots of "new" going around Michigan State football's new offense.

Pat Fitzgerald is new, leading the way as MSU's head coach. He hired Nick Sheridan to be the team's new offensive coordinator. The Spartans also have a new starting quarterback, a new-look offensive line, a new-look backfield, and several new receivers. Here is how each position stacks up, with a grade attached.

Quarterback: B

This coming fall is going to mark the beginning of the Alessio Milivojevic era for Michigan State. He took over as the starting quarterback in MSU's final four games last season and performed quite well, but 2026 will be the first time we'll get a full-season sample size of Milivojevic. This grade will improve quickly if Milivojevic continues to play at the level he reached at the end of last season.

Some credit does belong to Jonathan Smith and his staff for getting him to East Lansing. He was going to head to Ball State before the Spartans flipped him at the 11th hour, less than a month after Smith was hired.

What also helps is the Spartans' depth at quarterback. If Milivojevic were not able to go for whatever reason, incoming UCF transfer Cam Fancher would step in. Fancher has a few years of starting experience from his time at Marshall and Florida Atlantic. He initially won the UCF starting job last season but was limited to three appearances (two starts) due to injuries.

Holding onto 4-star prospect Kayd Coffman also continues to set a solid foundation for the future at the position. Coffman finished the cycle ranked 240th overall in the Rivals Industry Ranking for the class of 2026; he also ranked 16th among quarterbacks and fifth among recruits from Michigan.

Running Back: A

Running back might be the strongest position group for Michigan State this season. MSU landed four different running backs from the transfer portal this offseason: UConn transfer Cam Edwards, Iowa transfer Jaziun Patterson, Western Kentucky transfer Marvis Parrish, and Nebraska transfer Kenneth Williams (who is more of a kick return specialist).

The Spartans also held onto Brandon Tullis, who ran for 301 yards and four touchdowns last season. Edwards was the star transfer addition; he ran for 1,240 yards and 15 scores with the Huskies in 2025. Parrish had 779 scrimmage yards as a true freshman at WKU last year and will be an option in the pass game. Patterson has lots of Big Ten experience as a primary backup, too.

Offensive Line: B+

MSU also has many new and experienced linemen who will be coached by Nick Tabacca. UConn left tackle transfer Ben Murawski was Michigan State's top-rated transfer addition during the offseason. South Carolina left guard transfer Nick Sharpe and North Dakota State center transfer Trent Fraley are also both projected starters. There is a chance that MSU starts all seniors up front next season.

Robert Wright Jr. from Georgia Southern is another intriguing newcomer. The Spartans also had some key retentions. Right tackle Conner Moore is back, as are guard Luka Vincic and key reserve Rustin Young. Rising redshirt sophomore Rakeem Johnson is also in a position to get some playing time this fall.

Wide Receiver: C+

Wideout is a bit of a question mark this season. Michigan State is replacing the top two receivers, Nick Marsh (transferred to Indiana) and Omari Kelly (out of eligibility), from last year. Starting slot receiver Chrishon McCray is the most notable returnee.

This grade would be lower if someone other than Courtney Hawkins were the position coach. At least one bona fide, future NFL-caliber receiver has been in the room every year but one (2023) since Hawkins joined the staff in 2020.

But there are a lot of unknown commodities in the room next season. Portal additions Fredrick Moore (Michigan) and KK Smith (Notre Dame) were both backups at their previous stops. Jackson State transfer Jameel Gardner Jr. had 483 receiving yards last season, but that's at the FCS level.

Tight End: C-

In a similar boat to the wide receivers is the tight end room. Tight ends coach Brian Wozniak was also retained, but MSU is replacing both Jack Velling (out of eligibility) and Michael Masunas (transferred to Texas).

Coming in is Ferris State transfer Carson Gulker, who could be used in a lot more ways than just as a tight end. Players like Brennan Parachek, Jayden Savoury, and Kai Rios are also in spots to contribute this coming fall.

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