Michigan State Expected to Turn to True Freshman QB Against UCLA

Michigan State has lost five straight heading into Saturday's matchup against No. 9 UCLA. After opening the year with commanding wins over Toledo (30-20) and Eastern Michigan (35-7), the Spartans now sit at 2-5 overall and 0-4 in Big Ten play in head coach Pat Fitzgerald's first year at the helm.

Now, their quarterback situation has become another major concern. Starter Alessio Milivojevic is dealing with an undisclosed injury and is not expected to play against the Bruins on Saturday, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. Backup Cam Fancher is also unavailable after suffering an injury earlier in the season.

With the Spartans preparing to face an undefeated, top-10 opponent on the road, the timing couldn't be worse. Now, with Fancher ruled out and Milivojevic unlikely to play, true freshman Kayd Coffman is expected to make his first career start.

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Coffman is a four-star prospect from East Kentwood High School in Michigan who joined the Spartans in January. He was considered one of the top quarterbacks in the 2026 class, ranking as the No. 1 QB in Michigan and a top-20 QB in the country by 247Sports. His senior year, he threw for 2,599 yards and 34 touchdowns while adding 710 rushing yards and eight scores on the ground. He held offers from Cincinnati, Colorado, Duke, Iowa State, and others before committing to Michigan State.

Coffman has only seen limited action during his first season with the Spartans, though, appearing late in the loss to Wisconsin without attempting a pass. He recorded three rushing attempts for minus-one yard. Saturday would therefore mark his first real opportunity, and it would come against one of the toughest opponents on Michigan State's schedule.

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The Bruins head into Saturday's contest without their own starting quarterback, Nico Iamaleava, who is expected to miss the rest of the season. That gives Coffman a chance to keep the game competitive, though UCLA is still one of the best teams in college football and currently listed as heavy favorites for the matchup.

After UCLA, Michigan State will travel to Michigan before home matchups against Washington and Oregon. They'll close out the regular season on Nov. 28 at Rutgers.