For the first time under Jonathan Smith, Michigan State football has a top 25 recruiting class.
When MSU hired Smith, Spartan fans had a clear concern: how would a West Coast coach recruit in the uncharted territory of the Big Ten? Early signs seemed to justify those concerns, as Michigan State’s 2025 recruiting class was ranked No. 57 nationally by 247Sports.
But just one summer later, Smith’s 2026 class sits at No. 24 nationally per 247 Sports — with their ranking ahead of national powerhouses like Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and, notably, in-state rival Michigan.
But Smith didn’t turn around Oregon State in a day, and urged fans to not yet lose hope in his approach. When he arrived from Corvallis, Michigan State’s program was reeling from the Mel Tucker scandal, roster attrition, and consecutive underwhelming recruiting cycles.
Despite the early doubts, Smith and his staff have managed to regain traction by landing recruits not just from the Midwest but all over the nation. Smith and company are up to 18 commits in the class of 2026 after landing six commitments since last weekend and 14 this month.
The Spartans got busy over Father’s Day weekend, flipping three-star safety Jordan Vann from Virginia and poaching defensive lineman Fameitau Siale (who lives close to the Washington campus) from the Huskies. Additionally, MSU secured a commitment from cornerback T.J. Umenyiora, a three-star prospect from Georgia and the son of two-time Super Bowl champion Osi Umenyiora.
They have also landed prospects such as four-star tackle Collin Campbell, and three-star defenders Braylon Hodge (LB) and Cory House (EDGE) in recent weeks.
The fun kept going for MSU on Monday after Smith and receiver coach Courtney Hawkins landed a commitment from Zach Washington, a three-star receiver who chose MSU over Wisconsin, and West Virginia. Hours later, the Spartans also secured a commitment from three-star tackle Tristan Comer, before linebacker Adam Shaw joined the class on Tuesday.
Notably, Washington’s high school quarterback was Alessandro Milivojevic, who is entering his redshirt freshman season in East Lansing. As Michigan State looks to bolster an already strong recruiting class, Washington will reunite with his former signal-caller in hopes of becoming the next addition to MSU’s revamped receiver room.
When new athletic director J Batt was hired last month, fans were quick to question Smith and call for his job after a 5-7 finish in his debut season. But now, Smith is showing signs of doing what he did at his alma mater; rebuilding from the ground up, and doing it while sticking to his ideals.
The most impressive part? The Spartans have landed only three in-state commits in the class of 2026. They have consistently been winning recruiting battles against other strong programs (especially in the SEC), reminding those that MSU football is back on the rise.
With this newfound momentum, Michigan State’s recruiting outlook is brighter than it’s been in years.