The quarterback position can make or break a team, a coach, and/or a program. Pat Fitzgerald is well aware of that, and he’s doing all the right things to make sure he doesn’t experience mediocre quarterback play during his time in East Lansing.
The new head coach got Alessio Milivojevic to return for the 2026 season, and that’s huge considering he’s the projected starter after finishing the 2025 campaign strong.
Because of this news, and likely several other factors, Aidan Chiles moved on to Fitzgerald’s old program: Northwestern. The storyline for that matchup this year are going to be bonkers.
Fitzgerald was also able to land Cam Fancher in the transfer portal to back Milivojevic up, and he was able to sign four-star quarterback Kayd Coffman who committed under Jonathan Smith. He could very well be the Spartans’ quarterback of the future when Milivojevic moves on.
However, Fitzgerald is still working on the quarterback room every day.
While his room is set for 2026, it seems, he’s looking ahead to the 2027 class, and he’s putting in the work with one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
Pat Fitzgerald visits the nation’s No. 2 QB
Fitzgerald was just in Illinois on Tuesday, doing some recruiting with new quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian. They stopped by Montini Catholic in Arlington Heights, Ill., to visit four-star quarterback Israel Abrams, the No. 2 quarterback in the entire 2027 class.
Thank you @coachfitz51 and @MSUCoachJake for coming out to @MontiniFootball to hangout with me. I look forward to getting out to @MSU_Football real soon.@MontiniFootball @CoachHo @EDGYTIM @scottybscout @AllenTrieu @SWiltfong_ @TomLoy247 @TrustTrost @GNSportsTV @JasonKillop… pic.twitter.com/2WL9inFUDZ
— Israel Abrams 4⭐️ (@israelabramsqb7) January 20, 2026
It’s good to see the staff on the road working on future classes because it’s clear that he’s spent countless hours piecing together a roster via the transfer portal. He hasn’t forgotten about high school recruiting, and he’s aiming high with a potential future five-star quarterback.
Abrams is a 6-foot-4, 187-pound quarterback from Illinois who 247Sports has ranked the No. 22 overall recruit in the 2027 class. He’s also the No. 2 quarterback and No. 1 player in the state.
The four-star quarterback is going to have his pick of the litter when it comes time to decide on a college, and Fitzgerald is making sure he’s at least under consideration. Landing a quarterback of this caliber would be a program-changer for Michigan State.
Spartan fans have to love seeing this.