"Three-star U" has been a title jokingly muttered by Michigan State football fans over the past few years following that 11-2 season in 2021 and even before that in the final few years of Mark Dantonio before his retirement.
Jonathan Smith seemingly leaned right into that title as he signed the No. 42 recruiting class in the country in 2025 and had his 2026 class ranked in the 60-70 range for the longest time.
Then official visit season began.
While he was still landing strictly three-stars, his recruiting class jumped all the way into the top 45 nationally after holding just four pledges before May 30. Heading into Thursday, Smith had 10 commits in his 2026 class and it was ranked just inside the top 50 nationally but now it's up to 11 pledges and the class is up to No. 43 following a huge commitment.
NEW: On3 four-star OT Collin Campbell breaks down Michigan State commitment..
— Jason Killop (@KillopOn3) June 12, 2025
(On3+): https://t.co/xeN6zYOIoh pic.twitter.com/QDOrbYA3iB
Four-star offensive tackle Collin Campbell committed to Michigan State over Utah and Washington -- he just visited Utah last weekend. He now becomes Michigan State's second-highest-rated recruit in the 2026 class behind quarterback Kayd Coffman and the second four-star to join the Spartans.
Although 247Sports rates Campbell as a three-star, he's a composite four-star who's ranked No. 373 overall nationally and he's the No. 34 offensive tackle in the class. He's also the No. 3 prospect in Arizona.
The quote above from Campbell says all you need to know about his commitment. He loves that the city of East Lansing revolves around Michigan State and the campus. That apparently sold him.
Smith has been on an absolute roll lately and the momentum he's generating is getting fans excited once again for the return of football after a quiet spring.
Can we call this the J Batt effect?