Pat Fitzgerald and his Michigan State coaching staff have been on the recruiting trail this week to forge some necessary relationships in the 2028 class and beyond.
The bye comes a little too late as the team is in the middle of a six-game losing streak, but this gives a chance for Fitzgerald and his staff to work on the 2028 class and sell some top 2028 recruits on the future. Obviously it would help if the results spoke for themselves, but Fitzgerald is making a good impression on recruits so far.
And if the rumors are true, the first-year head coach is going to have plenty of resources to build his ideal roster this offseason. The 2028 class is still a year away, but it has to be assumed that he’ll have an equally-resourced offseason next year.
That means that Fitzgerald is aiming for some of the stars of the 2028 class already and he’s extended several offers to four-stars while paying them visits. He’s also recently hosted four-star running back Cartae Ligon and Devon Spalding went to check in on him this week.
That’s one example of Fitzgerald aiming high. Another would be his recent offer to fast-rising 2028 defensive lineman Elijah Willis from Detroit King on Thursday.
Willis is the No. 430 overall recruit and 47th-best defensive lineman in the 2028 class, per 247Sports. The state’s No. 9 recruit is also teammates with 2027 athlete commit Don Spillers.
That should increase Michigan State’s chances to land him.
Willis has also received offers from Iowa, Nebraska, Washington, and Wisconsin, so this could very well come down to a Big Ten battle. Iowa State and Cincinnati are the other two Power Four teams to have offered.
Pat Fitzgerald needs to win these types of battles
A lot of people are really down on Michigan State right now as another bowl-free season — barring a miracle — has taken place in East Lansing. Even though Fitzgerald inherited a mess, fans are impatient and they expect immediate results, especially in the NIL era.
Dan Bartholomae is going to give him that chance this offseason.
While Willis is a 2028 recruit and the transfer portal will come first, building some momentum with the 2028 class is going to be key to hitting the ground running after signing day. The transfer portal will take center stage in December, January, and February, but after that, it’s going to be all 2028 class.
Winning a battle for one of the top in-state recruits in the class who’s also being pursued by Big Ten teams not named Ohio State, Penn State, USC, Michigan, or Oregon should make this a more than winnable recruitment.
Finishing the 2026 season strong will definitely help. A win over Michigan would help a lot.
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