Michigan State football offers fast-rising speedster RB in 2027 class

Michigan State football just threw its hat into the ring for one of the fastest-rising running backs in the 2027 class this week as Jonathan Smith turns his attention to next year's class.

The Spartans are still trying to figure out who their starting running back is for the 2025 season, but that hasn't stopped Smith and Keith Bhonapha from focusing on the future of the position.

In the 2025 class, they landed four-star running back Jace Clarizio from East Lansing, and in 2026, they were after local four-star Kory Amachree, but he committed to Kansas. As of Aug. 10, the Spartans have yet to land a running back in their 2026 class, but they're still targeting a couple.

Smith is focusing more on the 2027 class with his 2026 group nearly wrapped up, and he offered one of the fastest risers at the running back spot in Kenyon Norman on Friday.

Norman isn't ranked by 247Sports yet, but he's a top-400 prospect in the country according to On3. He's also listed as the No. 30 running back in the class and the 10th-best prospect from the state of Ohio.

His stock has been rising over the past couple of months, earning offers from Pitt, Boston College, Iowa, Cincinnati, and Penn State since May 7. He's been one of the rising stars in the class; it's only a matter of time before he gets ranked on 247Sports, and it feels like he could approach four-star status with these recent offers.

Oh, and he's a heck of a speedster.

A 6-foot-0, 195-pound running back who runs a 4.43 40-yard dash and is from the state of Ohio with programs like Penn State and Iowa pursuing him? Yes, please.