We’re just five months into the Pat Fitzgerald era at Michigan State and the new head coach is already swinging for the fences on the recruiting trail.
After years of recruiting futility, it’s refreshing to see a head coach prioritize the Midwest and go to bat against some of college football’s top programs. He’s already beaten out programs like Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee, and Miami for a four-star in the 2027 cycle, and he’s willing to try to repeat that success.
Michigan State is recruiting against some truly elite programs, and the latest Spartan target to release a top schools list proves that Fitzgerald isn’t scared to aim high.
Four-star offensive tackle Dominic Black from New Madison, Ohio, just released his top eight schools ahead of official visit season and Michigan State made the cut.
Top 8
— Dominic Black 4⭐️ (@dominicblack56) April 29, 2026
Recruitment is still open. Beyond grateful to be in this position!! pic.twitter.com/HiPzOLjPyl
Along with the Spartans, we see Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, NC State, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech rounding out the top eight. It’s really a hodgepodge top eight with no real rhyme or reason other than the fact that he doesn’t plan on moving out west. He has teams from the SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, and ACC in his top group.
Black is ranked the No. 125 recruit in the 2027 class by 247Sports. He’s also the 18th-best offensive tackle and fifth-best prospect from Ohio.
Virginia Tech might be the leader for the four-star recruit based on his designation as “warm” on 247Sports and also the fact that his only schedule official visit is to Blacksburg.
Black held over three dozen offers before cutting his list to eight.
Michigan State is beefing up the trenches
Fitzgerald and offensive line coach Nick Tabacca know how critical it is to have a deep, talented offensive line because success in the trenches goes a long way.
While Michigan State hasn’t had the most effective offensive line throughout the Mel Tucker and Jonathan Smith eras, the Spartans have still managed to have an offensive lineman selected in three straight NFL drafts. Still, there’s a lot of work for Fitzgerald and Tabacca to do.
They’re off to a nice start in the 2027 class with Jack Carlson and Grant Adloff committed, but Black would be a cherry on top of the best offensive line class in years.
The 2026 offensive line is looking solid with Nick Sharpe, Rakeem Johnson, Conner Moore, Trent Fraley, Ben Murawski, Andrew Dennis, Luka Vincic, and Rustin Young. I think it’s fair to say that recruiting should see an uptick after these guys produce one of the most improved offensive lines in the Big Ten.
Win the trenches and the rest takes care of itself.
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