Jul 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Does MSU Have a Clear-Cut 2028 QB1?

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Caleb Sisk | Last updated Aug 2, 2025 11:11 AM ET

The Michigan State Spartans have been one of the better teams in the nation when it comes to aggression on the recruiting trail for one glaring reason. It's not because they are going to land plenty of five-stars or compete for the biggest names; it's because their staff allows them to be able to pivot from one class to another.

This is building your recruiting strategy 101. The best teams in the nation on Saturdays recruit the best players 365 days in simply because they have a strategy that works. While Spartan fans dislike teams like the Ohio State, even the most die-hard fan can accept that they have done a great job in recruiting, and this is a premier reason why they won the national championship.

The Spartans are becoming more active in recruiting classes, which has helped put them in better positions when these recruits' numbers are called. One of the classes they are targeting is the 2028 recruiting class. The Spartans have been targeting players throughout this class and have started to circle a possible QB1 option in the class.

That player is Donald Tabron II. Tabron is one of the better quarterbacks in the class and is an in-state prospect who has already received his Spartans offer and holds Michigan State up high on his list.

"My latest thoughts on Michigan State are really positive," Tabron told Michigan State Spartans On SI. "I’ve been watching the direction the program is heading under Coach Smith and his staff, and I like the energy and the vision they’re bringing. The way they’re building up the team, the culture they’re trying to establish it feels like something I could see myself being a part of."

The good thing is Tabron is extremely early in his recruitment, and will still potentially visit the Spartans, which is the only way for them to communicate at this time.

"I’m still working out exact visit dates, but I definitely plan to get back to East Lansing sometime this fall," he said. "I want to get up there for a game, take in the atmosphere, and keep learning more about how they run things. I’m also planning a few other visits — possibly back to Oregon since I’ve already built a relationship there, and then places like Penn State and Maryland have been on my radar. I just want to make sure wherever I visit, it’s a place I can truly picture myself thriving on and off the field."

Tabron is the clear-cut QB1 at this time in the class, but there is plenty of time left before a commitment.

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