Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith, left, shakes hands with head coach Sherrone Moore after 24-17 loss at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How will MSU Match Bitter Rival in Recruiting Success?

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Tom Cavanaugh | Last updated Jul 4, 2025 12:01 PM ET

The Michigan State Spartans' recruiting success over the past month is extremely impressive and something the program and its fans should be excited about for the 2026 season. The one big issue still standing is MSU's ability to compete alongside its in-state rivals, the Michigan Wolverines.

Over the past several years, Michigan has consistently pulled in greater talent than the Spartans, and this year is no different. The Wolverines have secured 11 four-star commits while MSU has just three so far, ranked the No. 26 overall recruiting class for 2026, per 247Sports. Michigan is No. 9.

When, or if ever, will the Spartans be able to compete at the top of the conference with the Wolverines for the best players in each class?

The short answer, winning. Recency bias plays a major role in how each of the rival schools has performed over the past several seasons.

MSU has posted three straight seasons of five or fewer wins and a combined record of 41-41 with two bowl victories since 2018, while the Wolverines are 69-19 with three bowl victories and a national championship in 2023 in that same span. Better recruits equals more successful seasons.

The Spartans are more or less a tier below their bitter rival when it comes to program notoriety and overall outlook from prospects looking for a home to play at. Their facilities and coaching staff is no better than what MSU has to offer, but how those recruits view each program is a major factor.

The long answer to this long-standing question is MSU's ability to take advantage of NIL. With new athletic director J Batt putting a strong emphasis on fundraising, NIL, and the football program as a whole, the Spartans could offer larger sums of money to top prospects to join the program.

It will certainly start with winning. How head coach Jonathan Smith and his group perform this season will be decided heavily on what level of recruits the program will receive for the rest of 2026 and future classes. Decommits are always a possibility if MSU does not succeed as well.

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