Pat Fitzgerald is out on the recruiting trail this week, and the new Michigan State football coach isn’t exactly aiming low.
The former Northwestern head coach has been visiting recruits and extending offers left and right, and then he’s going to close out the month of January by hosting several top targets in the 2027 and 2028 classes. He’s been putting in the work to ensure the Michigan State turnaround isn’t a slow burn. He’s preparing for an immediate turnaround, and he even told his team that in a recent meeting.
Michigan State has a lot of work to do, and that all starts with high school recruiting. While landing transfers will help with immediate production replacement, the high school prospects are what will keep the program humming in the long run.
Fitzgerald, as I said earlier, isn’t exactly being modest with his offers. He’s extending scholarships to some of the best recruits in the 2027 and 2028 classes.
He recently visited a top-35 quarterback, and on Tuesday night, he offered one of the best edge rushers in the 2028 class, Kameron McGee.
Blessed to be re-offered my Michigan state university @BrotherRiceFB @On3 @CoachCano @coachfitz51 @AllenTrieu @TomLoy247 @GregSmithRivals @SWiltfong_ @MSU_Football pic.twitter.com/exPaExTBHi
— Kameron McGee (@KameronMcGee202) January 21, 2026
The Chicago native was just the latest blue-chip recruit to receiver an offer from Fitzgerald and Michigan State. Well, he already held an offer from the previous staff, but when a new staff is hired, those scholarships need to be renewed. Fitzgerald made sure to re-offer on Tuesday.
McGee is the No. 6 recruit in the 2028 class as well as the No. 2 edge rushers and No. 1 Illinois prospect. Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, LSU, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Texas, USC, and Notre Dame have all offered the five-star from Chicago. This won’t be an easy recruitment to win.
Pat Fitzgerald is aiming high for 2028
The 2027 class obviously comes first and should take top priority, but the 2028 class can’t be overlooked, and Fitzgerald is making sure that doesn’t happen.
Michigan State is aiming high in the 2028 class, offering a top-50 quarterback, three top-25 receivers, two top-20 edge rushers, three more top-100 defensive lineman, two top-100 linebackers, a top-25 cornerback, and two top-60 athletes. That doesn’t even account for the countless other top 300-400 recruits. This class has a chance to be special if Fitzgerald can turn things around.
If Fitzgerald can make a bowl in 2026, and contend for a playoff spot in 2027, the 2028 class could be one of the most special in recent memory.