Spartan Football’s Top Five Returners for 2026
Michigan State football enters 2026 with massive roster churn—45 departures, 32 arrivals—but leans on five returning pillars to salvage its season. Slot receiver Chrishon McCray, under-used last year, is poised for a breakout as the passing game’s safety valve. On the offensive line, Conner Moore stands as the lone proven returner, shifting from guard reps to anchoring right tackle. Defensive tackle Ben Roberts, effective when healthy, must finally stay on the field to boost a thin interior. Linebacker Jordan Hall, the team’s leading tackler and vocal leader in 2025, remains indispensable. And under center, Alessio Milivojevic, praised for toughness and play-making despite an inconsistent offensive line, returns with three years of eligibility and a hunger to prove he’s more than a stopgap. Together, these five will determine whether the Spartans can turn turnover into triumph.
Lock up your transfer portal passwords—MSU’s salvation rests on these five carbon-copies of gritty clichés. Imagine Chrishon McCray hanging onto every bubble screen like it’s the Holy Grail while wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins whispers sweet nothings about “deep concepts.” Watch Conner Moore migrate from right guard to tackle as if guided by a Spartan GPS that only speaks in pass-block jargon. Pray that Ben Roberts’ hamstring behaves better than a toddler at naptime. Marvel at linebacker Jordan Hall barking signals like a frustrated barista calling last orders. And savor Alessio Milivojevic, who scrambles around his own linemen like a cat on a hot tin roof, delivering improbable throws that remind you why you signed up for Spartan football in the first place—namely, masochism.
Izzo’s Fifth-Best Starting Five Debate
As Michigan State basketball stockpiles talent—returning stars and five fresh recruits—Coach Tom Izzo faces a luxury problem: selecting his starting quintet. In the “fifth-most likely” scenario, veteran guard Jeremy Fears Jr. and hype man Coen Carr lock up the guard spots. At center, junior Anton Bonke edges out potential transfers due to experience, while freshman Jasiah Jervis wins the small forward gig over similarly skilled peers thanks to his outside shooting. Rounding out the lineup, rising sophomore Jordan Scott claims the final slot, rewarded for flashes of brilliance last season. This hypothetical five blends familiarity, seniority and untapped potential, though any injury or breakout could flip the order entirely.
Nothing screams “we have too many toys” like debating the fifth-best possible lineup. Picture Izzo pacing the tunnel, muttering, “Fifth? Fifth?” while clutching five rosters labeled A through Z. Fears Jr. and Carr are automatic locks—as automatic as your dad answering every rhetorical question. Bonke slides in because “experience,” a word coaches love more than free T-shirts. Jervis sneaks past Taylor and Teng because nothing says trust like a freshman’s shooting stroke observed over one scrimmage. And Jordan Scott, the season’s designated lucky charm, gets the nod because he once scored eight points in garbage time. It’s a die-hard Spartan rotation for the traveler ball plus one.
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