January 09, 2025
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St. Francis QB Alessio Milivojevic changes course, commits to Michigan State

St. Francis senior, originally pledged to Ball State, was offered by Spartans Dec. 7

By Bob Narang
St. Francis' Alessio Milivojevic (11) throws a pass against Morgan Park during a class 5A state quarterfinal football game at St. Francis High School in Wheaton.

St. Francis' Alessio Milivojevic (11) throws a pass against Morgan Park during a class 5A state quarterfinal football game at St. Francis High School in Wheaton. (Sean King for Shaw Local)

St. Francis senior quarterback Alessio Milivojevic is changing teams but not nicknames.

After committing to Ball State in June, the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder changed course over the weekend.

A three-year starter, Milivojevic announced his commitment to Michigan State on Sunday.

Milivojevic’s visit to Michigan State with his parents over the weekend led to his shift in commitment. The Spartans’ recruiting process with Milivojevic was a fast one. The Spartans offered Milivojevic on Dec. 7.

He quickly built a bond with new Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren.

Milivojevic cited many factors for picking Michigan State.

“The coaching staff has lots of experience with the offense and coaching quarterbacks,” he said. “I think Coach Lindgren and Coach Smith do a great job with that. Also, getting to play in the Big Ten. Along with that, I loved the city and the campus.”

Milivojevic becomes the second Chicago-area quarterback to commit to Michigan State in recent years. Payton Thorne, a Naperville Central alum, had a highly successful career at Michigan State.

“I know Payton personally when Coach Thorne was at North Central and I got to go to camp there and talk to him a little bit at times,” Milivojevic said.

Milivojevic, a three-star recruit, had a monster senior season that earned him several postseason honors, including Suburban Life and Kane County Chronicle Football Player of the Year.

He passed for 3,408 yards and 40 touchdowns while throwing only four interceptions to finish with a 73% completion rate. A dual-threat quarterback, his running ability was another attractive aspect to the Spartans. Milivojevic ran for 339 yards and nine touchdowns this season.

Milivojevic received offers from several programs, including Buffalo, UConn, Marshall, Mississippi, Nebraska, Tulane and Bowling Green. He said informing the Ball State coaching staff of his decision to decommit was a tough moment.

“It was by far one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my life,” he said. “When you build a relationship with a coaching staff and with them being so good to me, it was just hard to leave them.”

St. Francis' Alessio Milivojevic (11) looks for a receiver during a 2023 playoff game at Nazareth in La Grange Park. But by the time Milivojevic was in fifth grade, 7-on-7 had become a well-known answer for Illinois athletes to even the playing field with the rest of the country.

St. Francis' Alessio Milivojevic (11) looks for a receiver during a 2023 playoff game at Nazareth in La Grange Park. But by the time Milivojevic was in fifth grade, 7-on-7 had become a well-known answer for Illinois athletes to even the playing field with the rest of the country. (Tony Gadomski/Tony Gadomski for Shaw Local News Network)

Milivojevic said his next few weeks will be hectic. He had planned to enroll early at Ball State, but now must change his plans to attending Michigan State.

“It’s going to be a quick turnaround, finishing up finals for school this week, then signing on Wednesday at the school, then moving in the first week of January and getting started,” Milivojevic said. “It will be a little crazy, but I think I’m ready for it.”

St. Francis coach Bob McMillen said it was a proud day for his program. Milivojevic is the third player from his program to commit to a Big Ten program in the past three years. McMillen’s son, TJ, just completed his freshman football season at Illinois. Tyler Duzansky is a redshirt sophomore at Penn State.

“From a program standpoint, it shows we’re getting quality kids to be good student-athletes,” McMillen said. “To have another kid go to a Big Ten and Power Five school is huge for our program. That shows we’re developing our kids the right way and our coaches are doing a phenomenal job getting these kids prepared.”