Massillon's Savior Owens runs the ball against Sunbury Big Walnut in an OHSAA Division II regional final, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, in Zanesville. Kevin Whitlock / Massillon Independent / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MSU Football Lands First Commitment of 2027 Class

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Jacob Cotsonika | Last updated Jan 25, 2026 6:24 PM ET

Michigan State football is on the board with its 2027 recruiting class.

The Spartans have landed the commitment of running back Savior Owens, who just visited East Lansing for the team's "Junior Day" on Saturday and announced his decision one day later. Owens is the first verbal pledge of what will be the first full recruiting class for new MSU head coach Pat Fitzgerald and his staff.

1000% Committed #AGTG @CoachNMoore @CoachTMcGuire1 @CoachSpalding_ @coachfitz51 pic.twitter.com/TzK9Su2lDI
— Savior Owens (@SaviorOwens) January 25, 2026

Owens is from Massillon, Ohio, which is located to the south of Cleveland and Akron and is roughly a four-hour drive from East Lansing. He hasn't received a star rating or full evaluation from a recruiting service just yet, but he does hold other offers from Wisconsin, UConn, and several programs in the MAC.

This is also a nice victory for new running backs coach Devon Spalding, who left Wisconsin to join the Michigan State staff. It also aligns with Fitzgerald's vision for Michigan State by getting a recruit from one of the Spartans' pipeline states.

More on Owens, Fit at MSU

Ed Hall Jr. / Special To The Repository / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Things developed quickly here with Owens' commitment. Three different crystal balls went in Michigan State's favor on 247Sports on Saturday night, and Fitzgerald teased the commitment on Sunday morning.

Owens is not the speediest running back ever, but he is very elusive in space. He's got a nice juke move that he can use to separate himself from defenders, and he's willing to hurdle a low tackler, if necessary.

This past season, Owens ran for 1,579 yards on the ground with 21 touchdowns, netting him first-team All-State honors. Massillon Washington High School has one of the better programs in the state of Ohio as well --- MaxPreps ranks the Tigers 290th in the entire country and 14th among high schools from Ohio. Massillon Washington reached the state championship game this year, only falling by six points in the final.

It's a long way from the time for Owens to sign, which means Michigan State will still have to try and keep his recruitment locked down for nearly a full year, but this is a nice start to get a commitment so early. Owens' commitment coming in so quickly after a visit is certainly a sign that he truly wants to be in East Lansing. This isn't a situation where a recruit is dragging things out to end up going to the highest NIL bidder. Fitzgerald and MSU should want players who want to be Spartans, and Owens definitely seems like one.