Pat Fitzgerald has been on the phone presumably for two straight days. The new Michigan State head coach was hired on Sunday and had to immediately get to work on keeping the 2026 recruiting class intact while also working on the current roster.
With the early signing period beginning on Wednesday, Fitzgerald’s plate has been full but it sounds like he’s done a really good job of ensuring that the 2026 class doesn’t fall apart.
Shortly after Fitzgerald was hired, a couple of important 2026 commits announced that they would be sticking with Michigan State with the plan to sign on Wednesday. Four-star quarterback Kayd Coffman and three-star linebacker Adam Shaw gave Fitzgerald the good news that he wanted to hear, and now it looks like others are joining in.
Two more players reaffirmed their commitments on Monday, announcing that they will sign with Michigan State on Dec. 3 as well.
The first was three-star tight end Eddie Whiting from South Dakota. He’s been committed since February and he also holds offers from Alabama, Florida, Auburn, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan, Nebraska, Washington, and Wisconsin. He has a heck of an offer sheet for a three-star from South Dakota, but Fitzgerald is going to retain him.
I first would like to thank Coach Smith for the opportunities he has given me. With that said I am looking forward to signing my NLI December 3rd! #GoGreen #spartandawg pic.twitter.com/dUuUsLjBGX
— Edward (Eddie) Whiting (@EdwardWhiting9) December 1, 2025
Also announcing that he’ll be signing with Michigan State on Wednesday is three-star defensive lineman Christopher Knauls Jr. who also holds offers from Boise State, Oklahoma State, Houston, Indiana, Colorado, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Kansas, and Utah.
I would like to thank Coach Smith for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to play for Michigan State. With that said, I am looking forward to signing my NLI on Wed, December 3 #GoGreen 🟢⚪️ #LM36🕊❤️ pic.twitter.com/M0uRWSSIGG
— Christoper Knauls Jr (@ChrisKnaulsJR) December 1, 2025
Two more important recruits reassure Fitzgerald that they’ll be part of the 2026 class, and I’m sure they won’t be the only ones. Michigan State now has four guys who have said that they’ll be signing on Wednesday and sticking with the Spartans, and that has to be a product of Fitzgerald reaching out and easing their minds about the future.
Michigan State’s 2026 class did take a bit of a hit on Monday when three-star safety Jordan Vann announced that he’d be flipping his commitment to Louisville, dropping the Spartans to 37th nationally.
Fitzgerald’s job isn’t done, but it looks like recruits are starting to buy in.