What a busy day it’s been for Michigan State football. First, the program announced the firing of Jonathan Smith and then less than two hours later, Pat Fitzgerald was hired as the next coach.
Since then, there has been news about recruits deciding to stay and one key player opting to hit the transfer portal. The news is going to keep rolling in, but with players making big decisions in the coming portal window, which guys should Fitzgerald make sure absolutely remain in East Lansing?
1. Alessio Milivojevic, QB
This one’s obvious because he’s been a revelation for the Spartans over the past few weeks. Alessio Milivojevic has QB1 written all over him, and he looks like a quarterback who could lead the program for 2-3 years. He could be the perfect Fitzgerald guy because he’s tough and he doesn’t get rattled. Also, he doesn’t make many bad decisions. I’d also love to see Aidan Chiles come back and fight it out for the starting job, but I just don’t see it happening. Also, keeping Kaye Coffman committed would be huge.
2. Nick Marsh, WR
There will be some debate on this one because Nick Marsh is going to have a hefty price tag, more than likely, but he could be a legendary Michigan State receiver if he does decide to come back under Fitzgerald. There will be plenty of rumors about him transferring, but he seems to love Michigan State and he has the potential to be a clear No. 1 guy next year. If Marsh does leave, I would love for Fitzgerald to make the call on Braylon Collier and Chrishon McCray — even if Marsh stays.
3. Jordan Hall, LB
Going to be a senior, elite leader, and one of the best linebackers in the Big Ten, Jordan Hall would thrive on a Fitzgerald-coached team. Bring in Max Bullough as the defensive coordinator and you could see Hall become one of the best linebackers in the country next season. This is a no-brainer for me. Bring Hall back as well as Brady Pretzlaff and DeJae White and you might have the start of a special room.
4. Four key defensive linemen
It was hard to pick just one, and I didn’t want to waste multiple spots on four different guys, so here I am cheating and using No. 4 for four different defenders. I’d love to see pass rush specialist Anelu Lafaele back as well as veterans Jalen Thompson and Alex VanSumeren, and also freshman Derrick Simmons who earned rave reviews this past offseason. That would give Michigan State a perfect mix of veterans and young talent.
5. Aydan West, DB
One of the young guys I was most excited about this season played pretty well to end the year when he was given a shot. Freshman defensive back Aydan West looked like a budding star, and I can’t help but get excited about him starting for another 2-3 years in this Michigan State backfield. Bring Darqueze Dennard or Trae Waynes in to coach the secondary and you have something special.
Honorable mention: Several players along the OL
Like the defensive line, I didn’t want to waste multiple spots on all the offensive linemen that I’d like to see return under Fitzgerald, but there are some key guys like Gavin Broscious, Kristian Phillips, Conner Moore, Stanton Ramil, Rustin Young, Andrew Dennis, and Luka Vincic that I’d love to return to lead this group. I’m also going to throw tight ends Michael Masunas and Jayden Savoury into this category as must-r