After Pat Fitzgerald holds his introductory press conference at Michigan State on Tuesday afternoon, the focus is going to immediately shift toward recruiting as the new head coach will have to ensure that he has a decent group of players signing on Wednesday.
That’s right, the early signing period begins on Wednesday which is a quick turnaround after hiring a new head coach on Sunday and introducing him on Tuesday.
Fitzgerald, who turns 51 on Tuesday, will have his hands full trying to keep the 2026 recruiting class together, and he’s already had success with a handful of prospects.
Kayd Coffman, Adam Shaw, Christopher Knauls Jr., and Eddie Whiting all announced on X that they would be sticking with Michigan State and signing on Wednesday. Unfortunately, not all the recruiting news has been good since the Fitzgerald hiring.
In fact, three-star safety Jordan Vann flipped to Louisville, and all eyes are now on four-star wide receiver Samson Gash who has been flirting with Alabama for the past month, or so.
On Monday, he gave Michigan State an interesting update regarding his commitment.
Due to the recent coaching change at Michigan State and uncertainty, I will remain Committed to MSU but have decided to re-open my recruitment and sign in February. @AllenTrieu @GregSmithRivals @adamgorney @SWiltfong_ pic.twitter.com/QzMZqbr2sU
— Samson Gash 4⭐️WR (@GashSamson) December 2, 2025
As you can see, Gash is opting to wait to sign until February’s signing day and he’s reopening his recruitment as well. He said that he remains committed to Michigan State but is going to keep his options open, which sounds like he’s not fully committed to Fitzgerald yet. To say you’re committed and then say you’re going to keep your options open kind of voids that first part.
Gash is one of the most important commits in Michigan State’s 2026 class, picking the Spartans over a number of Power Four programs like Alabama, Illinois, and Vanderbilt. He has been showing interest in the Crimson Tide — and he even took a visit — over the past month.
Fitzgerald will undoubtedly want to keep Gash in his 2026 recruiting class, not only because he’s the top-rated Spartan commit, but also because he’s an in-state kid with a ton of promise.
Plus, Michigan State has been known for great receivers over the years, and after losing Nick Marsh to the transfer portal, that position group could use all the help it can get.