Michigan State football in danger of losing top RB target to Big Ten foe

Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith talks the media on the first national signing day for college football recruits Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.
Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith talks the media on the first national signing day for college football recruits Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jonathan Smith and Michigan State football have been scorching-hot on the recruiting trail lately. I'm talking 95-degree mid-June heat type of hot (if you live in Michigan, you know what I'm talking about right now).

Unfortunately, he might soon hit a bump in the road.

The Spartans have been on fire on the recruiting trail, landing 15 commitments since the start of June and two of them have been four-stars and most of the rest are high-three-stars.

Just a month ago, Michigan State was darn near juice-less, failing to secure a 2026 commitment for three months and sitting in the 70-range nationally in team recruiting rankings. Now it looks like Michigan State is unstoppable on the trail, jumping to No. 23 nationally after flipping four-star wideout Tyren Wortham from UCF.

However, after hosting a top running back target during the last official visit weekend before the dead period, Michigan State seems to be losing three-star Jamal Rule to a Big Ten foe.

Rule was just in town for his final official visit starting on June 20 which followed up trips to Nebraska, Virginia Tech, and Syracuse. Now it looks like he might be joining another Rhule at Nebraska. Matt Rhule is trending for the three-star running back with a similar namesake.

On Sunday, as he wrapped up his Michigan State official, he received a crystal ball in favor of the Cornhuskers from a Nebraska insider on 247Sports.

Right now, it looks like Nebraska is leading for the No. 48 running back and No. 779 overall recruit in the 2026 class which would be a tough loss considering the Spartans' luck at the position in the cycle so far. This would be adding insult to injury after losing out on Kory Amachree to Kansas just one month ago.

Smith will have to circle back on some guys or open up his board a little more if he wants to address the running back need in the class.