Michigan State football recruits are used to receiving slight dips in the national rankings after committing to the Spartans, and that’s been the case for as long as anyone can remember.
We’ve seen it happen to numerous players over the years, but Michigan State fans are no stranger to the disrespect. However, several 2026 commit have seen bumps in the rankings, although a couple of them have already decommitted and another one could be next.
Tyren Wortham was one of the top receivers in the 2026 class before decommitting this fall after a bad start by the team and rumors of Jonathan Smith’s job being in jeopardy. Braylon Hodge, too, parlayed his rapid rise up the rankings with a decommitment and subsequent commitment to Oregon. He was one of the fastest-risers in the 2026 class.
Samson Gash, a four-star receiver from Detroit Catholic Central, has also been rumored to be a flip candidate, and I’d be shocked if he didn’t end up at Alabama. It feels like all the momentum is with the Tide.
However, one prospect who is still committed and who hasn’t wavered — at least not yet — is four-star offensive lineman Collin Campbell. He’s been committed since June and hasn’t been rumored to be on the move, and earlier this week, he was given a nice ratings bump.
The talented offensive lineman went from outside the top-200 (No. 215) up to No. 197 nationally. While it’s not a huge jump, it’s a healthy one that shows that the coaching staff does have a decent eye for talent even if it’s not doing a good enough job on the field. That’s the one area where I feel like Jonathan Smith and Co. deserve some respect — they can spot a diamond in the rough.
Coaching them to their full potential? We have yet to really see that in East Lansing.
Michigan State fans are really going to like a guy like Campbell if he does remain committed to the Spartans in 2026. If Smith is retained, I don’t see him going anywhere.
The next couple of weeks should be interesting.