Spartans Land Another 2026 Commit, Three-Star DL

Knauls is coming off his official visit to East Lansing this weekend. He must have had an incredible visit to campus after making his decision just days following his experience.

Per 247Sports, Knauls had 22 total offers and chose the Spartans over programs like Colorado, Oklahoma State, Indiana, Kansas, and Texas Tech. This is a huge feather in the cap for Michigan State recruiting.

Knauls is ranked just outside the top 100 defensive linemen in the country for his recruiting class, tabbed as the No. 105 player at his position out of 2026 prospects, per 247Sports' Composite rankings. There will be a lot of hype surrounding him when he steps on campus.

Heading into his senior season at Lone Star High School, the Frisco, Texas native is coming off a solid year in 2024. Knauls recorded 15 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries, and one fumble recovery, per MaxPreps.

The Spartans have been on fire this week, landing yet another top 2026 prospect. In the past few days they are earned commitments from Knauls, three-star defensive back KJ Deriso and safety Eliyjah Caldwell-Hardy. This is another top pass rusher to add to the list.

It is too early to say if Knauls would be a starting piece for the Spartans in his trust freshman season, but there is certainly potential with his size and skillset. Standing 6-4, 260 pounds, he may be a bit undersized to start his freshman year but still has one more full high school season to grow.

Michigan State is now up to nine commits from the class of 2026. The last five have all been on the defensive side of the ball.

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