Michigan State football trending with 2024 QB Alessio Milivojevic

Michigan State football offered Alessio Milivojevic, a 2024 quarterback out of Illinois. He could be a diamond in the rough.

Late on Thursday night, Michigan State football extended an offer to quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, a high school senior out of Illinois. He is the first quarterback offered by Brian Lindgren as a Spartan coach. He joins (at least) Oregon State transfer Aidan Chiles as the only other quarterback offered by the Spartans since Jonathan Smith took the reins.

Milivojevic is currently a Ball State commit and rated No. 1,239 in the country. He is the No. 67 quarterback in the class and the 27th-best prospect out of Illinois. That said, his offer list is more impressive than these numbers, as Nebraska, Ole Miss, Tulane, and Wisconsin have all also offered the senior from Wheaton, Ill. He slots right around former Spartan commit Henry Hasselbeck, who is rated No. 1,216 and the No. 66 quarterback.

Breaking down the tape and statistics

When you turn on the tape, it is hard to believe that there are 66 quarterbacks rated better than Milivojevic. On the first play from his senior year highlights, he heaves a deep ball with perfect placement for a St. Francis touchdown. One of the main things that impressed me on multiple plays was Milivojevic’s pocket presence, as he moved around to avoid pressure and did not instantly choose to use his legs. That said, he is not afraid to use his legs or take contact, with multiple highlights showing the quarterback taking off and eluding defenders or taking a crushing hit to throw a touchdown strike. His touch is impressive, as I find it hard to believe there is a throw he could not hit. On the run, in rhythm, off of play action, or while getting chased from behind, his accuracy is astounding.

Finally, if anyone from St. Francis is reading this, I want you to know your field is amazing. Readers, check out the highlights for at least the field alone. 

Per showlocal, Milivojevic threw for 3,408 yards and 40 touchdowns this year, as well as over 300 rushing yards and nine more scores. All of this comes with a 73 percent completion rate and only four interceptions on the season. His St. Francis team went all the way to the state semifinals. 

Milivojevic’s offer comes nearly a week after Hasselbeck’s decommitment from Michigan State football. If Milivojevic elects to join the Spartans, he would likely join a transfer portal addition or two, as Michigan State has yet to have a scholarship quarterback for the 2024 roster. 

This situation is very reminiscent of last year when the Spartans made a late push to land Sam Leavitt from out west. This year, the Spartans looked closer to their backyard and hit up the Illinois quarterback pipeline. Payton Thorne (sorry for bringing this name up) also was from Illinois and overlooked, rated outside the top 1,000 prospects in the 247Sports Composite. Thorne was also committed to a MAC School, in this case Western Michigan, before the Spartans came calling for the signal-caller. While his ending as a Spartan left a bad taste in our mouths, Thorne did set records during his time as a Michigan State starter. 

St. Francis’ mascot is the Spartans, and Alessio Milivojevic has the Michigan State coaching staff wanting him to remain a Spartan in college.