It's safe to say already that Year 1 hasn't really gone Pat Fitzgerald's way at Michigan State.

The margin of error was already small for MSU this year, but a gigantic list of injuries and poor execution with the game on the line against Illinois and Northwestern have derailed any realistic shot for the Spartans to succeed. Now, Michigan State sits at 2-6 overall and a 0-5 mark during conference play.

Four games are left. Pressure still remains for everybody on MSU's roster, not just to avoid the humiliation of a 2-10 record with no Power Four wins, but also for their own careers. The evaluations never end in the portal era, and these five players' evaluations are going to be particularly important.

QB Alessio Milivojevic

All eyes start on the quarterback position. The decision on who to make QB1 for the 2027 season will be one of multiple major decisions the coaching staff must make this winter. It essentially comes down to Alessio Milivojevic or the mystery box from the transfer portal.

Kayd Coffman flashed some good things during his starting debut at UCLA, but it was clear that he's not really ready for a starting role yet. He's still a major part of the Spartans' future at the position, though, so if Michigan State were to get a portal guy, he would probably have one year of eligibility left.

Like everything these days, though, money is also a factor. Retaining Milivojevic would likely be cheaper, perhaps by millions of dollars, than getting a new guy from somewhere else. That difference could be used to get Milivojevic some better weapons at wide receiver (and also to perhaps retain tight end, Jayden Savoury). Milivojevic looked like he was at his best in 2025 when he had Nick Marsh and Omari Kelly at wideout, so it's an interesting thing to think about.

This, of course, is also contingent on Milivojevic playing. It's not entirely clear what kind of injury Milivojevic suffered against Northwestern that kept him out at UCLA, but the bye is well-timed for him.

WR Fredrick Moore

Wide receiver is a spot that will likely look much different in 2027. Rodney Bullard Jr. and slot receiver Chrishon McCray are set to run out of eligibility. Fredrick Moore, the other starter in MSU's main trio does have another year left, though.

Moore has 20 catches for 216 yards and two touchdowns this season. The group of receivers has felt like one of the worst groups in the Big Ten this season, and Moore has sort of blended into that. McCray, Bullard, and Savoury all have more receptions and yards than he does this year.

LB Dion Crawford

Linebacker will be another spot to really keep an eye on this offseason. Three different guys who have been contributors at the position are true seniors: Jordan Hall, Dion Crawford, and Cam Stodghill. When Fitzgerald and the staff were piecing together the 2026 roster, they were likely expecting this year to be each player's last. The new 5-for-5 eligibility rules mean that all those three players can come back, though.

Crawford is the name to watch, as far as pressure goes. Hall will be welcomed back if he so chooses. Crawford has played fine this year, but there are several interesting, younger names behind or around him in Brady Pretzlaff, DiMari Malone, and Adam Shaw, who may be a bit higher on the priority list right now.

DT Derrick Simmons

The interior of Michigan State's defensive line will be important to watch across the final four games. Defensive tackle has generally been a strength for the Spartans this year. That's perhaps changed after Ben Roberts got rolled up on during the very first defensive snap against UCLA. Roberts was the most valuable player left on defense, and there's a good shot he's done for the year and done with college football after emerging from the locker room with crutches and a wheelchair.

Second-year player Derrick Simmons will become MSU's new starting nose tackle. He's another younger guy the Spartans should definitely want to keep around, but Simmons is likely going to have a ton on his plate for the rest of the way in 2026.

DB Michael Richard

Nickelback is another spot to keep an eye on. That's been Michael Richard's spot all season long, though it hasn't always gone super smoothly. NiJhay Burt seemed ready to eat into Richard's playing time at the beginning of conference play, getting the start there against Nebraska, but an injury to Burt gave Richard the spot back, and more injuries forced Burt to outside corner upon his return.

Richard is another true senior who Michigan State likely thought would only be around for a year when it took him from the transfer portal at Louisiana Tech. MSU will have to add to its secondary in the portal, with it being set to lose Tre Bell and Charles Brantley at corner, and also Nikai Martinez at safety.