Players That Coach Pat Fitzgerald Must Keep with Michigan State Football

With the calamity of National Signing Day over, Pat Fitzgerald must go to work. That includes maintaining key players on this Michigan State football roster that fans would love to see back, while signing a staff. This work will not be easy, and there might be some players that leave the program that fans won’t love, but there are a few players worth mentioning that I believe are must keep to build this program for the future.

No. 1: QB Alessio Milivojevic

My first choice would be the guy at the QB position and that is Alessio Milivojevic. When you are trying to build a program, especially an offense, you need a guy under center that not only you can trust, but you know has a lot of talent. Alessio Milivojevic matches both of those. Ever since he took over the starting role, we have seen his ability to stand in the pocket and make difficult throws. We have also seen his toughness and his arm talent and that is something that you do not let walk out the door.

Coach Fitzgerald being from Illinois and Milivojevic being from the state as well should hopefully help with that connection. Not only that, but having a connection to the Midwest and understanding MSU should be something else that could factor in. This, in my opinion, is necessary for Coach Fitzgerald to start this cycle and if he can keep him, that would be a great start. With a QB, it is never guaranteed but it could be a start.

Update: Alessio Milivojevic appears to have re-affirmed his commitment to MSU via Instagram on Thursday night.

No. 2: LB Jordan Hall

Jordan Hall is my No. 2 player that must return. He is the leader of the defense, and he has been a Spartan Dawg from day one. Not only is he the leader, but he also plays the same position that Coach Fitzgerald played in his days at Northwestern as well. Coach Fitzgerald, being a former linebacker, understands the importance of great linebacker play and Hall is a great linebacker and leader. Starting with the captain of the defense is just as important as the QB and if Coach Fitzgerald  can keep both, I will be happy with this start.

No. 3: TE Michael Masunas

While the tight end position wasn’t used as much as I thought they would be used under Jonathan Smith, Masunas is a guy that when given opportunities, thrived. It seemed like every time he had the ball in his hands, he was able to make big plays. This is going to be a team that needs to have playmakers and Michael not only can be that, but he can be a trustworthy target especially on 3rd down situations.

On top of his receiving upside, he is a willing blocker, which is something the coach known for bulking up the trenches will appreciate.

No. 4: CB Aydan West

If you want to talk about young players that have a lot of potential, West is one of those guys. We saw the freshman, throughout this year, get better when he had his opportunities. I can see him being a leader on this team, especially in the secondary. In his only media availability of the year, West called that a goal for 2026.

We have seen this secondary struggle the last few years and this is one that could be built around West if Coach Fitzgerald can keep him in the green and white.

No. 5: DT Alex VanSumeren

If you want to talk about line of scrimmage, Alex VanSumeren is going to be a must keep. When healthy, he has been a difference maker up the middle. Stopping the run for MSU has been something that it has prided itself on, and the defensive tackle would be a huge part of that. He has a ton of talent, as evidenced by leading Big Ten defensive tackles in total tackles this season.

If you can have him in the middle and surround him with complimentary talent, he will be a huge difference maker for his final season.

No. 6: DE Jalen Thompson

Another defensive lineman that needs to be kept is the Cass Tech product. While pass rush has been an issue lately, Jalen Thompson is not only a guy that has shown flashes, he is a guy that seems bought into what this program has become.

He has been the leader on this defensive line and defensive end room for the last few years. If you can add a few more players or a star opposite of the soon-to-be senior, that would be a good start to the defensive end room. Thompson has high reviews for “doing his job,” and adding others around him will turn him into a star that we have all dreamed of since he stepped foot on campus.

These six players, in my opinion, are must keep players for Michigan State football. While it is not guaranteed that these players stay, if Coach Fitzgerald does keep all or a majority of them, I will be thrilled. MSU is going to lose players from this staff move, as evidenced by the intentions of Makhi Frazier and Nick Marsh.

These are some players that I believe could be impactful for next years team and help build this thing in the future. The most important thing is trying to build a culture, have key guys return and try to turn this thing around. With these players, I think that could be a start. There are many more players that I could put on this list but if all six of these players come back, full credit to Coach Fitzgerald and the staff that he builds.