Fall camp is finally here and Michigan State football coach Jonathan Smith is already assessing his team and slowly piecing together his depth chart.
The second-year head coach luckily doesn't have to worry about many positions on the offensive side of the ball as Aidan Chiles is the clear starting quarterback and his receivers are all pretty much set as well as his tight end and most of that offensive line. But there's a reason it's called a "depth" chart. He will have to figure out who is slotted in behind those starters.
Although the Spartans are just one fall practice in, it sounds like Smith has already made up his mind about the most important backup position on the roster: quarterback.
The Spartans have plenty of depth there, but they're going to need to figure out who slots in behind Chiles on the chart. Smith has his mind made up, telling reporters on Tuesday that his backup quarterback has already been decided.
Jonathan Smith: “Alessio Milivojevic had a nice spring, he’s our backup. He had some really nice throws today.”
— Emmett Matasovsky (@E_Matasovsky57) July 29, 2025
Alessio Milivojevic was one of the later additions to the 2024 recruiting class, but the Wheaton, Ill., product shows plenty of promise as a 6-foot-3, 220-pound gunslinger. He has the frame and the arm and it looks like Michigan State may have found a diamond in the rough as Milivojevic was committed to Ball State before flipping to the Spartans ahead of his signing day last year.
Now, he's backing up the most important player on the offensive side of the ball and we'll (hopefully) get to see him in blowouts or if Chiles needs to come out for an injury or any other reason.
It's now time to figure out the rest of that depth chart.