Michigan State football spring game: Three takeaways

It wasn’t the kind of jaw-dropper that leaves fans stirring out of the stadium — even if more than ever were wearing his No. 11 jersey. It’s also no threat to his status as the starting quarterback.

“Let’s go back to the decision we made to fully buy into ‘Less,'” said Fitzgerald, referencing a nickname Milivojevic has had since childhood but has picked up usage around Spartan Stadium. “You know, when we started our journey here, we evaluated his tape. We looked at where we saw him through those games that he was able to play in last year and then in our eye, with the wisdom and the experience we have to project, we went all in to have him be our starting quarterback.”

Milivojevic says that faith from Fitzgerald means a lot. He also doesn’t want to get too comfortable with it.

“It’s good to know that I’m gonna have the opportunity. I think it’s just something that you can’t take for granted, though,” Milivojevic said. “You gotta go in every day and be that same guy, be that leader and show that you are the guy.”

“I reserve the right to play the best 11 players on every single snap,” Fitzgerald said. “I don’t care how old you are, where you’re from, none of that matters. We’re going to do everything we can — that’s going back to that theme of competitive depth.”

Something to consider: Michigan State’s receivers lean toward the elusive archetype. Chrishon McCray and Braylon Collier played in the slot. Taplin, Rodney Bullard Jr. (awaiting an NCAA eligibility waiver), Bryson Williams and Frederick Moore worked out wide. The biggest guy of that bunch is Williams at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds. He made a 45-yard grab with fourth-stringer Leo Hannan at quarterback. They aren’t exactly big targets to throw to. In fact, Michigan State split out its tight ends to add some height on certain plays. Jayden Savoury had a few reps out wide in bunch formations.

Milivojevic’s arm isn’t his great X-factor. It’s his football IQ — the trait that steers him toward those checkdowns. The result may be a lot calmer, especially juxtaposed against the last quarterback Michigan State broke in: Aidan Chiles, who chucked up a few too many picks in his first starts as a Spartan.

Michigan State has a long way to go getting used to Nick Sheridan’s offense, which leans on playmakers to win their matchups and tends to get a little bit craftier than the checkdowns and handoffs seen under predecessor Brian Lindgren. But the personnel — including Milivojevic — is going to determine how much the Spartans can do. Work to be done there, no doubt.

“I think there's a lot on that position’s plate,” Fitzgerald said. “And when you have a new coordinator, and you have a whole new system (there are) things that you need to work on every moment of every day. And Alessio has been spectacular.

“Now, are we the finished product? No. Are we the finished product offensively? No. Are we the finished product as a team? No. But I’ll go back to what I said: we start camp 110 days from that. We just got a lot of work, like this won’t stop.”

Transfer defensive backs in prominent roles: ‘We hit a lot of home runs’

Michigan State’s offseason portal haul targeted two position groups in particular: offensive line and defensive backs. A lot of the new guys got on the field Saturday, especially in the secondary.

Though Charles Brantley was out with an injury and his return to the Spartan Stadium grass will have to be delayed, transfers Tre Bell, Michael Richard, Devin Vaught and Tyran Chappell played a lot of reps with the presumptive first-teamers. Each one looked competent, as did returners NiJhay Burt and Angelo Grose with a pair of interceptions.There’s a lot of names in that mix, which is a good thing in the eyes of this MSU coaching staff. Fitzgerald said he and general manager Bryan Gasser (previously with Jason Candle at Toledo) deliberately added lots of depth there.

“We put together a plan as we went into the portal, and I’ve said it now multiple times, to add competitive depth. And to me, that’s an area where we hit a lot of home runs,” Fitzgerald said. “A lot of talent back there on the back end, and we’re going to need it. Not only on defense, but also in kicking.”

Michigan State’s first-team had Nikai Martinez and Vaught at safety, with Richard the nickelback and Bell and Chappell at corner. Richard gave up four early passes to McCray but settled in as the practice played on. Vaught had a “tackle” for loss snuffing out an early run play.

“I can tell when he’s in the box. If I don’t see him, I can hear him,” Hall said. “He’s usually around the ball.”

Chappell had the most explosive day, good and bad. He notched a pair of breakups, including one on Rodney Bullard with some contact. The next play after that one, he mauled Williams but escaped a flag. That physicality is a hard line to walk, but it’s an aggression that this group lacked a year ago.

“Some days, they’ve been the most physical, believe it or not,” Hall said. “It’s fun seeing those guys fly around and make plays and want to hit people. You don’t really find that everywhere.”

Competitive depth means special teams will be well-provisioned

Special teams will not be an afterthought at Michigan State so long as Pat Fitzgerald is its coach.

“That’s how we’re gonna have to win games,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re gonna have to win in the margins, like everybody in the Big Ten.”

The Spartans invested $3.6 million into a three-year contract for LeVar Woods to be its special teams coordinator as Fitzgerald put his first staff together. It’s a major shift from the Jonathan Smith era, when running backs coach Keith Bhonapha and rush ends coach Chad Wilt split the job on top of their regular assignments.

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Michigan State also used its resources to build a roster that has the depth to field not only competent units on both sides of the ball, but also on special teams units that can make game-changing plays. It boils down to buy-in, and who takes that opportunity to get on the field with the most enthusiasm.

Spring ball’s rotation of players won’t happen between the real whistles. Seven players got at least a carry at running back, for example. Beyond the third- or even fourth-string running back, if that guy’s lucky, there won’t be enough snaps to go around during the season.

“That third phase in the kick game, we’ve got to get that group to believe and buy into how important that is,” Fitzgerald said. “And they’ve been great all spring, but that room is going to be really important in the kick game.”

So will defensive backs, linebackers and linemen who want to get on the field. There are a lot of players battling for playing time, from up-transfers as part of a 30-man transfer class, or a group of 15 true freshmen enrollees or the returners who are battling to maintain their spot on the depth chart.

Special teams is the relief valve for players to find a way onto the field. Like Kenneth Williams, who is the presumptive kick returner, though he broke for a 67-yard touchdown in Saturday’s games. Braylon Collier is fighting for time in a crowded receivers room, but he fielded punts like he did once at the end of last season. On the lines, a lot of young offensive and defensive linemen got in the mix.

Elsewhere on special teams, kicker Liam Boyd made one kick from 44 yards out but missed from 40 and 46. Punter Rhys Dakin held for him, and he had a pair of booming punts that were far better than second-stringer Alex Weeks, who lacked the Aussie's power and hang time. At punt return, McCray, Collier and Kenneth Williams fielded a lot of punts, with Bullard and Taplin in the mix as well. No kick-offs were performed, but Boyd will handle those duties.

cearegood@detroitnews.com@ConnorEaregood

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan State football spring game: Three takeaways