It's not a certainty who will start at quarterback for Michigan State this weekend, and it's not by choice.
The Spartans (2-5 overall, 0-4 Big Ten) released their first availability report of the week on Wednesday night ahead of a game at No. 9 UCLA (6-0 overall, 4-0 Big Ten). In a real surprise, MSU has listed quarterback Alessio Milivojevic as QUESTIONABLE to play against the Bruins on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS).
Where MSU May Turn
The exact injury Milivojevic is dealing with and what caused it is a mystery. There hasn't been any sign of Milivojevic playing hurt lately, and head coach Pat Fitzgerald said the team was "injury-free" following the team's 24-21 loss to Northwestern this past Saturday. Milivojevic also spoke to the media following the game, and it feels unlikely that that would've happened if he had gotten hurt.
If Milivojevic cannot play, that means third-stringer and true freshman Kayd Coffman would be the presumed starter. Backup Cam Fancher was listed as OUT for a third straight game. Coffman has only appeared in one game this year, getting some mop-up duty at the end at Wisconsin (the game when Fancher got hurt). He didn't throw a pass and registered three rush attempts for a loss of one yard.
There is also the chance that MSU could give second-year quarterback Leo Hannan a shot. He hasn't appeared in a game in his season and a half with the Spartans. Hannan was the QB3 last year and served as the primary backup to Milivojevic for a few games at the end of 2025 while Aidan Chiles was hurt.
Coffman is sort of considered the starter-in-waiting, though. He was a four-star recruit in the team's 2026 recruiting class, finishing at 274th overall, 19th among quarterbacks, and sixth among Michiganders on the 247Sports Composite rankings. Coffman picked Michigan State over offers from Ole Miss, Iowa State, Colorado, Duke, Cincinnati, and others. There also didn't seem to be any drama about his commitment when MSU switched head coaches just before the early signing period.
Full Michigan State Availability Report
OUT
RB Cam Edwards (season), QB Cam Fancher, CB Tre Bell, CB Charles Brantley, LB Jordan Hall, WR Charles Taplin, CB Keshawn Williams, CB Tyran Chappell, FB Jay Coyne, OL Tristan Comer, TE Joe Caudill
QUESTIONABLE
RB Jaziun Patterson, QB Alessio Milivojevic, RB Darrin Jones Jr., LB Caleb Wheatland, LB Brady Pretzlaff, OL Ben Murawski
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