Michigan State football commit listed as top-10 LB in 2026 class

If you've been paying attention to recruiting lately, you've probably seen Michigan State football commit Braylon Hodge rising in the rankings.

The three-star linebacker has become a four-star over the past week, and it looks like Jonathan Smith and Co. are going to have to battle to keep him. He's been offered by the likes of Michigan, Texas, and Missouri over the past week or so, and it doesn't look like the offers are going to stop rolling in any time soon.

Hodge is now looking like one of those diamonds in the rough that the Spartans seem to find every so often, and now he's even listed as a top-10 linebacker in the Rivals300.

This is a direct reflection on the staff's ability to locate and secure talent. Hodge was mid-level three-star recruit back in June, rated an 86 on the 247Sports Composite, but he's since exploded. He's now a top-10 linebacker in Rivals' 2026 class, and he's rated a 90 on the composite. Hodge has jumped a whole four points in the composite in three months, which is almost unheard of.

Hodge is going to be one of the toughest recruits to hang on to, but Smith knows this. He's going to have to work in order to keep him in his 2026 class.

It feels like this happens every year with at least one of the Spartans' commits. Smith is going to have to keep recruiting his already-committed linebacker to ensure he remains in the class come National Signing Day.