Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith, left, talks with Indiana's head coach Curt Cignetti before the game on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Spartans Outside Top 10 in Recent Big Ten Recruiting Rankings

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Tom Cavanaugh | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 9:55 PM ET

The Michigan State Spartans have done a phenomenal job this offseason on the recruiting trail, securing a copious amount of commitments, including a few four-star talents. Despite their success, the Spartans failed to crack the top 10 in a recent ranking of the Big Ten team recruiting classes.

According to Rivals, MSU's 2026 recruiting class is ranked 13th in the Big Ten. It sits directly behind Minnesota, Indiana and Iowa.

It feels as if the Spartans have performed better than all of those teams in recruiting, but that may not be the case if we look at the grand scheme of the 2026 recruiting class to this point.

MSU has gathered 22 total commits for the 2026 class and is ranked as the 33rd overall recruiting class in the country, per 247Sports.

Washington has secured one five-star talent and six four-stars. Indiana and Minnesota both have four four-stars, while the Spartans have secured 19 three-star talents and just three four-stars. That is exactly how these rankings are evaluated, leaving the Spartans in the back half of the conference.

It is true that there are many teams in the Big Ten that attract better talent than the Spartans, but it all depends on how the supposed "star" players will perform on the collegiate turf. If MSU's recruiting class comes in and plays well, these rankings will mean absolutely nothing.

It makes sense that the Spartans are in the position they are in the Rivals' rankings, but also extremely frustrating at the same time. They have done everything they can to improve this program for the future, and yet, still sit behind 10 other teams in terms of incoming talent.

Mentioned in a previous article that I wrote, the only way to fix this lingering issue is winning. If the Spartans finish 8-4 or better this season with a strong bowl game showing, recruits will take notice and begin to believe that East Lansing is a prime destination to find success and compete for titles.

Regardless, MSU recruiting is in a great spot compared to where it was.

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