Arguably the most important addition of each recruiting class has to be the quarterback. It usually means that the class will have its leader and future captain and most Michigan State football quarterback commits have done a good job of recruiting fellow recruits.
Jonathan Smith has done a decent job of identifying his quarterback targets of each class early on, landing two passers in 2024 while also bringing Aidan Chiles over from Oregon State.
In the 2025 class, the Spartans landed Leo Hannan early on. The three-star quarterback from California committed in April and the rest of the class fell into place. Hannan was rated an 87 on 247Sports and was the No. 54 quarterback in the 2025 class.
In 2026, Smith has already landed his quarterback despite having just four commits. Kayd Coffman got a recent four-star bump and he committed to the Spartans back in February. He's ranked the No. 258 overall recruit in the 2026 class as well as the 19th-best quarterback.
But what about 2027? It's still early, but Smith may have just identified his top quarterback target.
Cooper Newman, a currently unranked 6-foot-3, 200-pound quarterback from Tennessee, received an offer from Smith and Michigan State on Friday afternoon.
#AGTG Extremely blessed to receive an offer from Michigan State!!@LovedayTodd @SmokyBearFball @GregSmithRivals @ChadSimmons_ @adamgorney @TomLoy247 @JustinThind @SeanW_247Sports @JeremyO_Johnson @JohnGarcia_Jr @samspiegs @RyanCallahan247 @StephenM_Brooks @SWiltfong_ pic.twitter.com/VgREZIKX74
— Cooper Newman 2027 QB (@Coopernewman7) May 30, 2025
Newman is currently unranked but Corey Robinson of 247Sports said he has a big arm and his stock is rising. He's a player to watch in the 2027 class.
Now that Smith has identified his quarterback target in 2027, he can hone in on him and get him to campus a few times before he makes a decision. He's already planning on visiting Michigan State on June 13, per Robinson.
Smith has an eye for quarterback talent.