Bottom five Michigan State players against Notre Dame, per PFF

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Michigan State football dropped their first game of the 2026 season on Saturday, falling at the hands of No. 3 Notre Dame, 27-10. It was the perfect time for a reality check for the Spartans, who are now eyeing to clean things up as they begin Big Ten play.

In the game against the Fighting Irish, there were plenty of bright spots both on the offense and on the defense. Unfortunately, though, there were a handful of negative things that happened, which obviously led to the Spartans defeat.

After looking at the film, and evaluating the game, Pro Football Focus (Subscription Required) gave out their grades for the Spartans in the game.

Check out the bottom five players for the Spartans (minimum 10 snaps played), according to PFF:

QB Alessio Milivojevic – 38.9

Coming as a very little surprise, Michigan State's quarterback had a game to forget on Saturday. Playing arguably the toughest secondary in the country, this was a strong learning experience for the redshirt sophomore, who has proven he has talent. A 9-for-17, 123 yards and two interception performance is very rarely going to get the job done, though.

CB Charles Brantley – 39.7

Unfortunately, the return of Brantley in East Lansing has gone about as opposite as it can get. The sixth-year senior has struggled in coverage and has taken a couple of massive penalties. The bright side, Brantley's tackling and support in the run game is still strong.

WR Chrishon McCray – 55.7

Returning to Michigan State for a second year in 2026, McCray was expected to be the Spartans No. 1 receiver, but through three games, it has gone the complete opposite direction. After a strong week one against Toledo, McCray was held to two catches for 10 yards against EMU and one catch for five yards against the Fighting Irish.

WR Bryson Williams – 55.8

With the wide receiver room struggling, the staff will soon start to turn to the young guys to make an impact. One young guy getting their chance is Williams. Unfortunately, he was held catchless in this tough matchup with Notre Dame.

DE Isaac Smith – 56.1

A tough grade for the senior, as this low of a grade comes after getting the lone sack of the game for the Spartans. Unfortunately, Smith just did not do enough in the running game to warrant anything better.

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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Bottom five Michigan State players against Notre Dame, per PFF

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