Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith leaves the file after the Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

MSU Deemed One of 'June Recruiting Winners'

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 5:15 PM ET

Michigan State football redeemed a lackluster start on the recruiting trail with the class of 2026.

The Spartans landed 17 prospects from the class in the month of June, including two four-stars.

For that production, Michigan State has been deemed one of "10 winners on the recruiting trail in June" by Rivals' Adam Gorney.

"No Power Four team had more commitments in June than Michigan State, which landed 17 players and gave the Spartans a massive boost heading into the dog days of summer," Gorney wrote.

"Coach Jonathan Smith and his staff also didn’t limit themselves geographically. From Florida, to California, to Washington state, to New Jersey and across the Midwest, the Spartans went everywhere for talent. They completely re-energized their recruiting class with so many pledges."

For a little while, the Spartans had been ahead of in-state rival Michigan, but the Wolverines quickly rose with 12 commitments in the month, which included several four-stars, headlined by recent commit Carter Meadows, one of the top edge rushers in the class.

There are some targets out there who could still trickle in for the Spartans this month, but it would seem they hit the peak of their success of their success on the trail.

Michigan State had just four commits going into the month of June, and fans were sounding the alarms after what had been an underwhelming haul from the class of 2025.

Now, the Spartans are set up nicely for the future, and that success is expected to continue with future classes, especially now with the support of athletic director J Batt.

The other programs Gorney deemed as winners were Alabama, BYU, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Nebraska, Texas and Texas A&M.

That's some solid company, especially for a Michigan State team that hasn't made a bowl game since 2021.

It's clear that the Spartans left strong impressions with their official visits, which, aside from revenue share, which has officially gone into effect, and NIL, is the best thing you can do when you're struggling as a program.

Michigan State has made itself an appealing destination again, which is tough to do when going up against programs like Michigan and Ohio State.

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This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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