With spring practice beginning this week for the Michigan State football team, msuspartans.com takes a look at the position breakdown on offense for the Spartans.
QUARTERBACKS
â–ºPosition Coach: John McNulty (first season)
â–ºPlayers returning (2):Â
• #11 Alessio Milivojevic (1L, R-So., 6-3, 223, Naperville, Ill./St. Francis HS)     2025 (MSU): 9 games/4 starts, 111-of-173 passing [.642], 1,267 yards [140.8 ypg], 10 TDs, 3 INTs; 31 carries for -59 yards, 1 TD
• #15 Leo Hannan (R-Fr., 6-3, 216, Long Beach, Calif./Servite HS)
â–ºIncoming transfers (1):Â
• #2 Cam Fancher (Gr.-6, 6-2, 207, Dayton, Ohio/Wayne HS/Marshall/FAU/UCF)     2025 (UCF):3 games/2 starts, 41-of-72 passing [.569], 333 yards [111.0 ypg], 0 TDs, 0 INTs; 31 carries for 170 yards, 1 TD
â–ºIncoming freshmen (2):Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• Peyton Babbitt (6-2, 195, Muskegon, Mich./Orchard View HS) *fall 2026
• #8 Kayd Coffman (6-2, 206, Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood HS) *spring 2026
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Alessio Milivojevic started the last four games of the 2025 season for the Spartans and played in nine games overall, gaining valuable experience in just his second collegiate season. Overall, he completed 64.2 percent of his passes (111-of-173), which was the fourth-best completion percentage by a Spartan quarterback in any Michigan State single-season. He threw for 1,267 yards and 10 touchdowns against just three interceptions in 319 total snaps; in his four starts, he completed 58 percent of his passes (79-of-136) for 986 yards (246.5 ypg) and seven TDs.Â
In his first career start at Minnesota on Nov. 1, Milivojevic threw for 311 yards, the third most by a Spartan freshman/redshirt freshman quarterback, and the fourth most by any Spartan QB in his first career start. During the regular-season finale vs. Maryland at Ford Field in Detroit, Milivojevic led the Spartans to a victory over the Terrapins by throwing for a career-high four touchdowns and 292 yards. He nearly engineered a road win at Iowa on Nov. 22 against a Top 10 defense, tossing two touchdowns and a total of 255 yards, but the Hawkeyes won on a last second field goal as time expired. Milivojevic, a product of Naperville, Illinois, and St. Francis High School, is looking to build on those performances entering his third season at MSU in 2026.
The Spartans also brought in experienced sixth-year graduate transfer Cam Fancher, who has played in 37 collegiate games, including 28 starts (14-14 record) over the course of five seasons (2021-25). Fancher most recently spent the 2025 season at UCF, but was limited by injuries to just three games and two starts, and was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA for 2026. He played three seasons at Marshall from 2021-23, including a 6-1 record as the starting QB in 2022 as the Thundering Herd closed the year on a five-game winning streak and a win over UConn in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Following 10 starts in 2023 at Marshall, he transferred to FAU in 2024, starting the first nine games of the season for the Owls before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 9.Â
Fancher has thrown for 5,627 yards and 27 touchdowns in his career while rushing for 1,292 yards and nine TDs, good for 6,919 yards of total offense (187.0 ypg).
Leo Hannan, who redshirted as a true freshman in 2025 and did not see game action, is back for his second season in East Lansing in 2026.
MSU also signed four-star prospect and Rivals 300 quarterback Kayd Coffman in the 2026 recruiting class. Coffman threw for 35 TDs and 2,787 yards during his senior season at East Kentwood (Mich.) High School and enrolled early in January to compete in spring practice for the Spartans.
Incoming freshman Peyton Babbitt (Muskegon, Mich./Orchard View High School) will join the program over the summer.Â
Veteran John McNulty, who has more than 30 years of coaching experience, including 15 in the NFL, is in his first season at Michigan State as the quarterbacks coach for the Spartans under first-year offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan. Â
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Junior Brandon Tullis returns to the Spartans in 2026 after rushing for 301 yards and four touchdowns in 2025.
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RUNNING BACKS
â–ºPosition Coach: Devon Spalding (first season)
â–ºPlayers returning (6):Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• #25 Jace Clarizio (R-Fr., 5-10, 205, East Lansing, Mich./East Lansing HS)Â
• #20 Zion Gist (R-Fr., 5-11, 209, Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East HS)Â
• #27 Darrin Jones Jr. (R-Fr., 5-10, 190, Lake Orion, Mich./Orchard Lake St. Mary's)Â
â–ºIncoming freshmen (1):Â Â Â
• Cedric Williams Jr. (5-11, 185, Canton, Mich./Detroit Catholic Central HS) *fall 2026
â–ºLetterwinners lost (2):Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• Makhi Frazier (2L, 9 games/7 starts, 116 carries, 520 yards, 2 TDs, 4.5 avg., 57.8 ypg; 12 receptions, 25 yards, 0 TDs, 2.1 avg., 2.8 ypg)
• Elijah Tau-Tolliver (1L, 12 games/3 starts, 72 carries, 428 yards, 2 TDs, 5.9 avg., 35.7 ypg; 18 receptions, 139 yards, 7.7 avg., 11.6 ypg)
Michigan State reloaded the backfield through the transfer portal, bolstering its rushing attack by bringing in four experienced and productive tailbacks.
Fifth-year senior Cam Edwards, who played the last four seasons (2022-25) at UConn, posted career highs for rushing yards (1,240), rushing touchdowns (15), carries (210), receptions (19) and receiving yards (187) for the Huskies in 2025, finishing the year ranked among the FBS Top 25 leaders in five categories (13th in rushing TDs; 15th in rushing yards; 17th in rushing yards per game; 22nd in all-purpose yards; 23rd in yards per carry). He concluded his UConn career ranked among the school's all-time leaders in rushing yards per carry (tied for first at 5.6), rushing yards (fifth with 2,690), rushing touchdowns (fifth with 27) and carries (ninth with 467) in 36 career games, including 23 starts. The 5-11, 206-pound Edwards, a third-team Group of Five All-American in 2025, led UConn in rushing three years in a row and has nine career 100-yard rushing performances.
Sophomore Marvis Parrish had a breakthrough season as a true freshman at Western Kentucky in 2025, leading the Hilltoppers in rushing yards (576; 5.4 avg.; 44.3 ypg) and carries (106) while also ranking third in receptions with 36 for 203 yards. He started all 12 games during the regular season and played in all 13 games while being named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team.
Fifth-year senior Jaziun Patterson played in 34 games at Iowa the past four seasons (2022-25) and has rushed for 858 yards and four touchdowns on 195 carries in his career, while redshirt junior Kenneth Williams also has Big Ten experience, appearing in 14 games for the Huskers the last two seasons (2024-25). Williams earned second-team All-Big Ten honors from the media as a return specialist in 2025 after leading Nebraska with 395 kick return yards, including a 95-yard TD against Northwestern.
Junior Brandon Tullis is the team's leading returning rusher. The two-year letterwinner ranked third on the team in 2025 with 301 rushing yards on 69 carries, including four touchdowns, in 12 games of action with two starting assignments.
MSU also welcomes back four redshirt freshmen in 2026: Jace Clarizo, Zion Gist, Darrin Jones Jr. and Bryson Williams. Williams saw brief game action with 15 offensive snaps in four games as a true freshman. In addition, redshirt sophomore Jaxon McCaig is working his way through an injury.
Incoming freshman Cedric Williams Jr. will join the Spartans during the summer.
After spending the last three years at Wisconsin, Devon Spalding is in his first season coaching the running backs at Michigan State.
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Redshirt senior Chrishon McCray, who was named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List last season, returns for the Spartans after hauling in 24 catches for 330 yards and three touchdowns in his first year in East Lansing in 2025.Â
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â–ºPlayers returning (7):
• #3 Rodney Bullard Jr. (1L, Gr.-6, 6-0, 181, Albany, Ga./Westover HS/Valdosta State)                                  2025 (MSU): 12 games/1 start, 5 catches, 119 yards, 23.8 avg; 9.9 ypg, 1 TD
• #89 Nick Hardy (R-Fr., 6-1, 188, Birmingham, Mich./Groves) Â
• #13 Chrishon McCray (1L, R-Sr., 5-10, 180, Avon, Ind./Avon HS/Kent State)                                  2025 (MSU): 11 games/6 starts, 24 catches, 330 yards, 13.8 avg; 30.0 ypg, 3 TDs
Former Spartan great and veteran wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins is back for his seventh season on the MSU coaching staff in 2026.Â
Hawkins' position room features seven returning players – including starter Chrishon McCray – along with two transfers and four incoming freshmen.
McCray highlights the returners with 105 receptions, 1,645 yards and 16 touchdowns in his four-year collegiate career, which includes three seasons at Kent State (2022-24) and one at MSU last fall. A two-year starter at Kent State, McCray caught 81 passes for 1,315 yards and 13 TDs in 2023 and 2024 with the Golden Flashes. He earned first-team All-MAC honors as a redshirt freshman in 2023 with 41 receptions for 610 yards and four TDs, and was a second-team choice in 2024 with 40 catches for 705 yards and nine TDs. McCray entered last season on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List and had 24 receptions for 330 yards and three TDs in 11 games with six starts for the Spartans in 2025.
Graduate sixth-year senior Rodney Bullard Jr., who is awaiting official word on an additional year of eligibility from the NCAA since he has only played in three seasons of competition, is practicing with the Spartans this spring. Bullard transferred to Michigan State in January 2025 after hauling in 85 passes for 1,567 yards and 19 TDs in two seasons (2023-24) at Division II Valdosta State. He was one of the best Division II receivers in the nation in 2024, ranking sixth in the country in yards per catch (23.8 avg.), 10th in TD catches (12) and 17th in receiving yards (1,001; 71.5 ypg) while helping lead Valdosta State to a 13-1 record and the D-II national championship game. A first-team All-Gulf South Conference selection, Bullard also led the league in touchdown receptions, yards per catch and receiving yards. Bullard had five catches for 119 yards in his first season wearing the Green and White in 2025, including a four-catch, 102-yard performance with a 71-yard TD in his only start of the season at Minnesota on Nov. 1.
Redshirt junior transfers Fredrick Moore and KK Smith both have two seasons of eligibility remaining and will add experience to the group. Moore played in 31 games over the course of three seasons at Michigan (2023-25), hauling in 15 receptions for 160 yards and one TD. During three years at Notre Dame (2023-25), Smith caught 11 passes for 161 yards and two TDs.
Four talented freshmen are joining the program in 2026. Consensus four-star prospect Samson Gash, the No. 1 wide receiver in the state of Michigan in the Class of 2026, is headed to East Lansing during the summer, while Colin Charles, Rai'Shawn Elmore and Zach Washington enrolled in January.
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Redshirt sophomore Rustin Young started five games at tackle last season for the Spartans while earning his first letter at MSU.
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OFFENSIVE LINE
â–ºPosition Coach: Nick Tabacca (first season)
â–ºPlayers returning (7):
• #77 Andrew Dennis (R-So., 6-4, 297, Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Mt. Pleasant HS/Illinois, 1 game)
• #54 Antonio Johnson (R-Fr., 6-5, 287, Detroit, Mich./Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS)
• #55 Rakeem Johnson (R-So., 6-4, 296, Boise, Idaho/Bishop Kelly HS, 12 games/4 starts at RG)
• #58 Conner Moore (R-Sr., 6-6, 311, Milbury, Ohio/Lake HS/Montana State, 12 games/9 starts at RT, 3 starts at LT)
• #76 Drew Nichols (R-Fr., 6-4, 298, Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta Valley HS)
• #70 Luka Vincic (R-Sr., 6-5, 316, Bothell, Wash./Bothell HS/Oregon State, 2 games/1 start at RG)
• #73 Rustin Young (R-So., 6-4, 299, Honolulu, Hawai'i/St. Louis HS, 12 games/4 starts at LT, 1 start at RT)
â–ºIncoming transfers (4):
• #63 Trent Fraley (Sr.-5, 6-1, 306, Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area HS/Marshall/North Dakota State, 13 games/13 starts at C)
• #75 Ben Murawski (R-Sr., 6-7, 340, Harleysville, Pa./St. Thomas More HS/UConn, 12 games/12 starts at LT)
• #52 Nick Sharpe (Gr.-6, 6-2, 351, Gastonia, N.C./Hunter Huss HS/Wake Forest/South Carolina, 8 games/5 starts at LG)
• #71 Robert Wright Jr. (R-Jr., 6-5, 294, Atlanta, Ga./Stockbridge HS/Georgia Southern, 12 games/11 starts at RT)
â–ºIncoming freshmen (5):
• Cole Bertke (6-6, 275, East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids HS) *fall 2026
• #68 Eli Bickel (6-6, 300, North Branch, Mich./North Branch HS) *spring 2026
• Collin Campbell (6-7, 295, Gilbert, Ariz./Williams Field HS) * fall 2026
• Tristan Comer (6-6, 280, Freeland, Mich./Freeland HS) * fall 2026
• Jack Ziarko (6-4, 280, Canton, Ohio/Hoover HS)* fall 2026
Michigan State's offensive line will have a new look in 2026 as the Spartans brought in four experienced transfers to a room that also features seven returning players and five incoming freshmen. Nick Tabacca, who has 20 years of offensive line coaching experience, most recently at Wake Forest (2014-24), is in his first season as the Spartans' offensive line coach.
At center, fifth-year senior Trent Fraley looks to anchor the line after winning the Rimington Award as the nation's best center in the FCS last season at North Dakota State. The first-team All-American started all 13 games for the Bison and also started all 16 games in 2024 as NDSU won the FCS National Championship.
Redshirt senior Ben Murawski, standing at 6-7, 340 pounds, started all 12 games at left tackle for UConn in 2025 and played in 30 games the past three seasons for the Huskies. He graded out as the No. 27 offensive tackle in the FBS by Pro Football Focus last season and was named a second-team Group of Five All-American by HERO Sports. Â
Sixth-year graduate senior guard Nick Sharpe played under Tabacca at Wake Forest from 2021-24 before transferring to South Carolina for the 2025 season, where he played in eight games for the Gamecocks with five starts at left guard. He graded out as the No. 15 guard in the SEC by Pro Football Focus (66.9).
Robert Wright Jr., a redshirt junior who spent his first three years (2023-25) at Georgia Southern, started the final 11 games of last season at right tackle for the Eagles and played a total of 794 snaps.
The Spartans are also bringing back four players who started games last season. Redshirt senior Conner Moore, an FCS All-American left tackle at Montana State in 2024, started all 12 games during his first season wearing the Green and White with nine starts at right tackle and three at left tackle. He has played in 43 career games, including 40 consecutive starts.
Redshirt sophomore Rustin Young appeared in all 12 games last season to earn his first Spartan letter, playing a total of 448 snaps, fifth most among Spartan offensive linemen. He started one game at right tackle and started the last four games of the season at left tackle. Fellow redshirt sophomore Rakeem Johnson also earned his first letter, playing in all 12 games with four starts at right guard to close the season. Fifth-year senior Luka Vincic suffered a season-ending injury in Week 3, but has played in 22 games over the course of his career (20 at Oregon State from 2022-24; two at MSU in 2025); he has experience starting at both guard and center.Â
Eli Bickel signed with the Spartans in December and enrolled in January to compete in spring practice, while Cole Bertke, Collin Campbell, Tristan Comer and Jack Ziarko will join the program over the summer. Campbell, the No. 1 ranked player in the state of Arizona, was rated a four-star prospect and the No. 65 overall player in the country by Rivals.
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The Spartans feature a mix of five returning players, two incoming freshmen and one graduate transfer to the tight end room in 2026 under third-year position coach Brian Wozniak.
Fifth-year graduate senior Carson Gulker brings an added dimension to the offense for the Spartans. The 6-3, 245-pounder played five seasons (2021-25) at Ferris State and was a part of four Division II National Championship teams for the Bulldogs, starting games at both quarterback and tight end in his career while also carrying the ball 422 times for 2,228 yards and 50 rushing TDs, including a school-record 31 in 2022. The multi-dimensional player accounted for a total of 73 touchdowns at FSU (50 rushing, 16 passing and seven receiving). Most recently, he played in all 16 games, including 11 starts, for the 2025 National Champions with a team-best 548 receiving yards on 34 catches. A first-team All-GLIAC selection as an H-Back, Gulker also had 541 rushing yards on 81 carries to rank third on the team with 1,089 all-purpose yards and fourth with 12 total TDs (seven receiving, five rushing).
MSU returns five tight ends from last year's roster. Redshirt senior Jay Coyne, who has lined up more as a traditional fullback in his career, is back for the Spartans along with fellow redshirt senior Kai Rios, who played in nine games during his first season at Michigan State in 2025 after transferring from Indiana State. Redshirt junior Brennan Parachek caught 14 passes for 118 yards while lettering his first two seasons (2023-24) in East Lansing, but only played in four games last fall to preserve his redshirt season. Promising redshirt freshman Jayden Savoury also redshirted in 2025 and expects to be a more significant contributor to the offense in his second season. Redshirt sophomore Charlie Baker provides depth for the Spartans. Â
The Spartans signed two freshmen in the Class of 2026 – Joe Caudill (Lexington, Ohio/Lexington High School) and Eddie Whiting (Sioux Falls, S.D/Thomas Jefferson High School – and they both enrolled in January to compete in spring practice.
