Spartans on the Brink of Landing an In-State Running Back for 2026

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kaleb Kraus | Last updated May 19, 2025 10:18 PM ET

The Spartans look to be closing in on their next addition for the 2026 football recruiting class. Michigan State's Jonathan Smith has been putting in the work to find and score talent within the State of Michigan.

That starts right within their local region, as MSU has made keeping high-caliber offensive players at home. That was a major win in the 2025 class, as the Spartans were able to hold off a challenge from Alabama for East Lansing star running back Jace Clarizio.

Now the Spartans find themselves right in the thick of the hunt for 2026 four-star running back Kory Amachree.

Amachree plays just down the road at Lansing Haslett High School. The Spartans were included in his final six schools, a list that also includes Duke, Kansas, Pittsburgh, Indiana, and Harvard, according to On3 Sports' Hunter Sheldon.

TOP 6

Wheres ??#AGTG pic.twitter.com/YUrogDKQvf
— 4⭐️ Kory Amachree (@KoryAmachree11) May 17, 2025

Overall, Amachree is the sixth-highest rated player in the State of Michigan and 24th nationally among all running backs. During his junior season, he finished with 1,102 yards and 12 scores.

He has an official visit set with Michigan State for June 1st. Add in that he has already received a crystal ball prediction from 247 Sports to pick the Spartans as his college choice, Coach Smith certainly looks to be making headway in recruiting.

Michigan State's backfield needs these types of guys, after they have struggled for the better part of a decade to have an all-decisive running back. Outside of Kenneth Walker III 's 2021 season, the Spartans have had a running back rush for 1,000 yards since Jeremy Langford in 2014.

That's unacceptable for a school that has had plenty of memorable running backs throughout its history, including Le'Veon Bell , Javon Ringer, T.J. Duckett, and Lorenzo White.

With plenty of youth in the running back room this season, getting Amachree in the fold as well could help set up the Spartans' backfield for years to come.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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