Norman s Phoenix Murphy (6) is sacked by Stillwater s Nehemiah Kolone (7) during a high school football game between Stillwater High School and Norman High School in Norman, Okla., on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

MSU Misses on Much-Needed Recruiting Target

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Caleb Sisk | Last updated Jul 7, 2025 8:16 PM ET

The Michigan State Spartans have been one of the best teams when it comes to recruiting the class of 2026, as they have turned the heat up recently. They have landed many of their top targets in the class and still have multiple players remaining whom they could target.

They look forward to building a full class, while they are also sitting in a great spot as of July 7. The Spartans have one of the better classes in 2026, despite only having had four commits from the class going into the month of June.

Michigan State pulled many strings, and it now has 22 commits from the class. These prospects come from a plethora of different states, and the same goes for the players they have been targeting. While the Spartans have done an excellent job, it isn't all sunshine and rainbows. They have missed out on multiple targets that they were hopeful to land lately.

This includes a new player to the list who committed elsewhere on Monday.

Nehemiah Kolone, a class of 2026 three-star defensive lineman from Oklahoma, announced his commitment to BYU. Michigan State was one of his top schools.

He visited the Cougars officially; they were the final team to host him on his official visit, while the Spartans were the second. Kolone also visited the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Kansas Jayhawks to complete his official visit slate prior to his commitment.

The three-star is rated as the 947th best prospect in the country, 104th best at the defensive lineman position, and the 19th best player in the state of Oklahoma, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. Despite these rankings, he was a prized recruit for many of these teams, as he is even expected to make a jump in the rankings sooner rather than later, prior to his final high school season with Stillwater (Oklahoma).

Coach Legi Suiaunoa has only landed one player on the defensive line for the middle, Christopher Knauls Jr., but will need more than just him in this class. They will be forced to go back to the drawing board as they look to land more players in the position group.

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