Michigan State football makes top 5 for coveted 2027 in-state DL

We are less than a month away from the start of spring ball which means that Michigan State football is preparing for that first season under Pat Fitzgerald.

The Spartans aren’t expected to make a ton of noise in 2026, but Fitzgerald’s experience coupled with his resume of success prove that they’re not going to be pushovers. The first-year head coach is going to have his team more than ready to play when the season kicks off in September.

Before that can happen, Fitzgerald needs to have a successful spring and get off to a nice start to his 2027 recruiting class. With the 2026 class all signed and some incoming freshmen on campus already, Fitzgerald has turned his focus to 2027.

And his ability to sell the program is paying off already.

Fitzgerald spent years at Northwestern with far more limitations and he still found a way to make Big Ten title games and win 10-plus games in multiple seasons, and recruits realize this.

It’s good to see that Fitzgerald is using those Midwest roots as a former Northwestern head coach and player to focus on recruiting in the region. Starting with in-state prospects is a must.

He’s doing a good job of making inroads in the region.

On Tuesday, he made the top five for one of the top prospects in the state of Michigan for 2027.

Jameer Henry, a three-star defensive lineman from Detroit King, holds two dozen offers and has a pretty loaded top five with Missouri, Ole Miss, Illinois, and USC along with the Spartans. So he’s going to end up either in the Big Ten or the SEC — smart kid.

Given the position he plays and where he’s from, Michigan State makes the most sense.

Michigan State football desperately needs DL help

It’s been fun to see Winston DeLattiboudere II get right to work after being hired as the new defensive line coach at Michigan State. Fitzgerald is making sure he has the resource to build a successful group, and he’s already forging relationships with the top prospects in the state.

Myles Smith is probably the No. 1 in-state target, at least on the defensive side of the ball. The top-50 prospect (per On3) is one of the best edge rushers in the class and he plays just down the road at Farmington High. He’s going to have DeLattiboudere’s attention until he commits.

Obviously there will be more defensive line targets, but starting with Smith and Henry is a good look for in-state recruiting. Both are highly sought after.

Henry is the No. 467 overall recruit in the class, per the 247Sports Composite, and he’s also the state’s No, 8 recruit. He also held offers from Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi State, Pitt, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt before trimming his list down to five.