Pat Fitzgerald and Winston DeLattiboudere III are aiming for the stars lately. The Michigan State coaching duo has apparently compiled a list of elite defensive linemen to target, and they’re making stops to check in on each of them this week before official visit season begins next month.
Last week, Michigan State landed four-star defensive lineman Ohimai Ozolua from Chicago over the likes of Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Miami, and Tennessee. It was the first major recruiting win for the staff in the 2027 class, but it may have been just the first domino to fall.
The Spartans then checked in on four-star defensive lineman Marvin Nguetsop from Connecticut on Tuesday. Nguetsop is the No. 222 overall recruit in the class and he’s considering programs like Michigan, Tennessee, and Ole Miss along with the Spartans. He also stands 6-foot-7.5 and makes the Spartans’ 6-foot-3 defensive line coach look like a child in size comparison.
It didn’t take long for the coaches to shift their focus from landing a four-star defensive lineman to checking in on another priority four-star up front.
And they’re not done yet.
On Wednesday, the staff stopped in to see four-star Columbus, Ohio, based defensive lineman, Reinaldo Perez. The Midwest four-star is ranked the No. 294 overall recruit in the class as well as the No. 36 defensive lineman and No. 11 prospect from the talent-rich state of Ohio. Perez is high on Indiana and Michigan State right now, but the Hoosiers just got a visit on April 17.
Michigan State was in to see 4 ⭐️ DE Reinaldo Perez and others at Columbus Academy this morning https://t.co/zD6toDZVeP https://t.co/CTO1cOnWze
— Corey Robinson (@C_Robinson247) April 29, 2026
I can’t imagine what it would take, but if Michigan State is able to land all three four-stars (Nguetsop, Ozolua, and Perez), it would probably have its best defensive line class since the 2016 group that featured Joshua King, Auston Robertson, Naquan Jones, and Mike Panasiuk
We all know what happened to half of that group, but on paper, it was arguably the best defensive line recruiting class in program history.
The Spartans are currently off to a good start in 2027.
Pat Fitzgerald is already battling college football’s elite
Landing a four-star Chicago-based defensive lineman over Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee, and Miami, among others, was a great sign that Fitzgerald isn’t going to shy away from recruitments just because elite programs are involved.
The same can be said for his pursuit of Nguetsop from Connecticut. He’s also being pursued by Michigan, Tennessee, and Ole Miss but he received offers from Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, Penn State, Texas, and Texas A&M. Winning this recruiting battle would be another flex for Fitzgerald and DeLattiboudere and the fact that they’re getting a visit next month is a good sign.
And now we’re looking at Perez who’s being targeted by the reigning national champs in Bloomington. That’s no longer an easy recruitment to win for the Spartans thanks to Curt Cignetti. Like the other two, Perez has offers from elite programs like Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee, and USC.
Fitzgerald is not afraid of anyone. It’s about time Michigan State had a coach like that.
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