Michigan State football has officially entered the flip sweepstakes for one of the top running backs in the 2026 recruiting class.
The Spartans have swung and missed on every running back target in the 2026 class, most notably missing out on Haslett, Mich., native Kory Amachree to Kansas. The four-star back from Michigan State's own backyard looked like a Spartan lean for a while until things changed right before he committed to the Jayhawks.
Michigan State also offered three-star Detroit-native Michael Dukes who was committed to Toledo, but then he flipped his commitment to Rutgers two weeks later.
Now, Jonathan Smith and the rest of the staff are focusing on a new running back target, hoping to flip one of the top rushers in the 2026 class from Pitt.
Official offer. Received in the mail!🙏🏾 @KbTheStable @MSU_Football @WearemilfordFB @Coach_bjones44 @ReggieWhite90 @Coach_Trog @Coach_jayjay @Coach_Coates32 @Coach_Hargis @Peeps_a_fool @rjackso10 @coachtae_7 pic.twitter.com/0bJrKgWpSD
— Damon “Nuddle” Ferguson (@roll5damon) August 11, 2025
On Wednesday, the Spartans offered four-star running back Damon Ferguson who has been committed to Pitt since June 9. This would be a heck of a power move by Smith and Co. considering he is one of the top running backs in the 2026 class, ranked No. 16 at the position by 247Sports.
Ferguson is also ranked the No. 263 overall recruit in the class and the Baltimore-native holds over 40 offers from the likes of Ohio State, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Stanford, Indiana, and Arkansas, among others. He's one of the most sought-after running backs in the class.
While I'm not holding my breath for a flip here, getting him on campus for an official visit would be huge this fall and if the run game can show improvement, it'll make it difficult for him to say no.
There's a lot of work to do here.