Don't look now, but Michigan State football coach Jonathan Smith is catching fire.
The second-year head coach had gone three whole months without landing a commitment in his 2026 class but that drought ended on Sunday with the commitment of Braylon Hodge.
It was a nice pick-me-up after the first official visit weekend of the summer wrapped up and the Spartans even got him to cancel upcoming trips to Iowa, Minnesota, and Utah. It was a big win for Michigan State as the borderline four-star joined the class and gave Smith some momentum.
On Monday, that momentum carried over from the weekend as the Spartans added a commitment from a prospect who was committed elsewhere.
Three-star defensive back Brayden Thomas flipped his commitment from Iowa State to Michigan State on Monday, becoming the sixth pledge for the Spartans in 2026.
Out of the first official visit weekend, Michigan State landed two guys rated an 87 or above on 247Sports, and Thomas is ranked the No. 843 overall recruit and he's the No. 71 safety in the class.
This recruitment moved fairly quickly in the Spartans' favor as Thomas was offered by Michigan State on May 14, he immediately planned an official visit for May 30 and then committed to the Spartans on June 2. He committed to Iowa State back in February.
With the commitment, Michigan State moves up to No. 51 in the 2026 class team rankings on 247Sports. A week ago, the Spartans were in danger of dropping to the 70s.
Smith is getting hot at the perfect time, now it's time to carry this momentum over.