Former Michigan head coach making push for flip of 4-star Michigan State WR commit

Pat Fitzgerald has to feel some pressure to keep Michigan State’s top 2026 commit in East Lansing, but it looks like that may ultimately be a losing battle.

Four-star Detroit Catholic Central receiver Samson Gash has been committed to Michigan State since the summer, and it was one of Jonathan Smith’s biggest recruiting victories. Keeping Gash home to play with his older brother, Caleb, and potentially landing 2027 cornerback and younger brother Gideon Gash feels like a top priority.

Unfortunately, Gash may be headed elsewhere to play at the next level.

Samson revealed that he wasn’t going to sign during the early period this week and would actually wait until February after the coaching change in East Lansing. He said he was still committed to the Spartans and even said that he liked the Fitzgerald hire, but he’s still going to weigh his options.

Michigan State may lose Gash to a former Michigan head coach

One option may have presented itself in the form another Power Four program led by former Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez.

In fact, West Virginia is trending heavily with Gash on Friday, according to On3 predictions.

One expert placed a prediction for West Virginia to land the talented four-star Michigan State commit, but no news has been made public regarding his decision — yet.

West Virginia looks like the team to beat for the four-star receiver from right in Michigan State’s backyard, but it’s hard to believe that he would turn down Fitzgerald to play for a no-longer-in-his-prime Rodriguez in Morgantown. He’s turning down playing for the home-state program that just received a huge NIL donation to play in the Big 12 for a program that also went 4-8 this year.

Fitzgerald could probably still persuade him, but it sounds like all the momentum is on West Virginia’s side, and that’s an unfortunate development for the new head coach who had a rather successful week.

Michigan State will have to look for different receiving options in the transfer portal, but hopefully it will be able to retain Chrishon McCray, Braylon Collier, Evan Boyd, and Bryson Williams — or a combination of those guys — after losing Nick Marsh.