Did Michigan State Miss on Its Top 2026 Target?

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Caleb Sisk | Last updated Aug 1, 2025 8:36 PM ET

The Michigan State Spartans have been one of the top programs when it comes to recruiting the best of the best in the 2026 class, as they have landed a plethora of different commitments in the class, including their top targets at many different positions, but what they failed to do is land their top target in the class in total.

So who was that target?

This question is opinionated, and many different people can argue that a different prospect is their top target, whether they landed him or missed on him. One could potentially argue that Samson Gash is their top target. Gash was easily one of their top targets in my professional opinion, as he committed to many different schools, including the Alabama Crimson Tide and their staff.

He is one of the most elusive prospects in their class. Another prospect can argue that maybe Kayd Coffman is the top target in the class. Coffman is the top player on their board and was the top player on their board at his position, and I could see the argument being made; however, someone else comes to mind.

The top target in this class, in my opinion, is Salesi Moa . Moa recently made his college decision on Thursday, as he announced his commitment to the Spartans, the Michigan Wolverines, the Washington Huskies, the Utah Utes, and the Tennessee Volunteers. The commitment came as he announced his shocking decision to commit to the Tennessee Volunteers.

One could argue that a large majority of the time in the past month was led by the Utah Utes. This was his expected decision prior to Thursday, which changed in the final hours and minutes. However, the Tennessee Vols convinced him to hold off on his commitment earlier in the month, similar to the Spartans, who did the same thing.

Moa would've been the biggest commitment in the class, so wouldn't it be fair to say he is the biggest miss? I would think so, which by nature means he was the biggest target for the Spartans in the class.

In my final statement, I want all the readers to understand that, yes, the Spartans missed, but this doesn't mean their class is falling behind. They have still done a great job.

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