Two elite recruits schedule visits to Michigan State football
![Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith leaves the file after the Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith leaves the file after the Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2400,h_1350,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/137/01j386cg1dqnh4ha3kn0.jpg)
The next big recruiting event for Michigan State football is right around the corner as the annual Spartan Dawg Con is next weekend, beginning July 26.
There have already been countless recruits who have announced their intentions to visit, and Jonathan Smith and his staff just found out that two more recruits are planning to attend.
The first recruit to announce they will be visiting Michigan State next weekend is Kaden Gebhardt.
Excited to be at Michigan State on the 27th! @DBcoachadams @JoeS_Rossi @AustinDArmond @Coach_Gordon20 @AllenTrieu @Kstaff07 @MohrRecruiting @CoachBart11 pic.twitter.com/ra9dI2bKIE
— Kaden Gebhardt 4⭐️ S/ATH (@kaden_gebhardt) July 18, 2024
Gebhardt is a four-star safety from Lewis Center, Ohio, in the 2026 class. According to 247Sports, he is the No. 215 player in the country. Gebhardt also is the No. 17 safety in the country and the No. 8 player from Ohio.
Gebhardt does not hold an offer from Michigan State yet, but I’m guessing that will likely change next weekend while he’s visiting campus.
Wisconsin, Penn State, Oklahoma, Missouri, Louisville, and a few others have already offered Gebhardt, but I think MSU stands a solid chance in his recruitment as of now. He’s still choosing to visit Michigan State on his own dime even though Smith hasn’t offered him yet, so that tells me he is very interested.
The second prospect who has announced he will be visiting Michigan State next weekend is Emoni Smith.
Michigan State to host 2026 Ohio ATH Emoni Smith for Spartan Dawg Con
— Kenny Jordan (@Kenny_Jordan5) July 19, 2024
The Spartans have made an effort to get back into Ohio and recruit the state again, Smith has taken notice..
“I think it’s great that MSU is getting back in here. Look at when they were good, they had a ton… pic.twitter.com/IQJI96h5aP
Smith is a three-star athlete from Galloway, Ohio. According to the 247Sports composite rankings, he is the No. 524 player in the 2026 class and the No. 46 athlete as well.
As you can see from these two recruits, Smith and his staff are beginning to prioritize Ohio recruits, which is something we got used to seeing during Mark Dantonio’s tenure. Recruits are taking notice of that as well, and Emoni Smith even had this to share with Kenny Jordan of On3.
“I think it’s great that MSU is getting back in here (Ohio). Look at when they were good, they had a ton of Ohio boys.”
Hopefully Jonathan Smith can be as fortunate with these Ohio recruits as Dantonio was. They were always important pieces to all of Dantonio’s championship teams, so hopefully, it works out the same way this time for Smith, beginning with these two solid recruits.