Jonathan Smith has done a great job this summer with the 2026 recruiting class, and Michigan State football fans are beginning to buy back in.
It's been three years since Michigan State made a bowl game, and that has taken a lot out of the fanbase as they try to remain optimistic. Giving a new head coach a grace period after the disaster that has been the past three seasons is tough, but most Michigan State fans are learning to do just that. You can't rebuild a program overnight.
Smith's first season was a disappointment, and his start to the 2026 recruiting class was slow, but after a red-hot month of June and overall impressive summer, the second-year head coach is starting to earn the benefit of the doubt from some fans.
So when he extended an offer to three-star FAU commit Frederic Sainteus on Monday evening, that benefit was tested big time.
After a great conversation with @Antwon_Murray and the rest of the Michigan State Football Staff. I’m blessed to have received an offer from Michigan State University! @adamgorney @chrismaragos @primefastllc @rivalscamp @theucreport @hssportsfl @flrecruits @prepredzonefl pic.twitter.com/eE8NQTRz1a
— Frederic (@Fredericbs55) July 28, 2025
Fans may have been in shock when they opened up his 247Sports profile to see a picture-less page and a ranking in the 1600s. It feels like this type of recruit hasn't been targeted by the Spartans since Mark Dantonio. And we saw what kind of success Dantonio had with lower-ranked recruits.
While his recruiting ranking may have caused some pause from fans, we have to trust the staff's talent evaluation because he also just received offers from Florida and Syracuse.
Why is his recruiting ranking so low? Apparently, the Naples, Fla., prospect has only been playing organized football for three years. He's basically brand-new to the sport and he's already a Division I prospect with offers from Florida, Syracuse, and Michigan State while being committed to FAU.
I think we sit back and just trust the staff here.