Michigan State football might just be trending with one of the best in-state prospects in 2026.
Jonathan Smith has a lot to prove to fans after a 5-7 opening season as head coach of the Spartans and dominating on the recruiting trail would be a good start. More specifically, winning in-state recruiting battles for four-star prospects has to be a priority for Smith and the staff.
Smith landed a few in-state four-stars last class, including Jace Clarizio, but he's already focusing on the 2026 group (as he should) and there's another talented local back that has caught his eye.
Kory Amachree, a four-star running back from Haslett, Mich., has long been on Smith's radar and it looks like that recruiting has paid off as the Spartans were recently named in his top six.
Along with Michigan State in that top six are Kansas, Duke, Pitt, Indiana, and Harvard. Clearly he's a pretty smart kid if he has Duke and Harvard on his list but he also has his sights set on the Big Ten with Michigan State and Indiana.
Shortly before this top six was posted by On3, Michigan State received a crystal ball on 247Sports to land the four-star running back from Haslett. It was a "247Sports Staff Projection".
Amachree held 35 offers including Arizona State, Illinois, Louisville, Minnesota, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, among others, before cutting his list to six. He's ranked the No. 352 overall recruit in the 2026 class as well as the 24th-best running back and sixth-best Michigan-based prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite.