Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith looks on during practice on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Spartans Still Long Way From Top Big Ten Recruiting Class

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Tom Cavanaugh | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Michigan State Spartans have been on a recruiting tear over the past few weeks for the 2026 class, gaining a trio of three-star commitments over the past three days. Despite the success, head coach Jonathan Smith and his staff have a way to go to be on top of the Big Ten.

The Spartans possess the No. 9-ranked 2026 recruiting class in the Big Ten conference and 26th nationally, per 247Sports. Nearly half of the conference has a brighter future than Michigan State, despite the recent success that has brought 18 total commits to East Lansing already.

The USC Trojans have the No. 1 overall class, followed by the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 5. The rest of the list reads Penn State (No. 7), Illinois (No. 10), UCLA (No. 11), Rutgers (No. 12), Minnesota (No. 14), Washington (No. 17), and Michigan State (No. 26).

The recruiting class rankings are based off of total number of recruits and the value of those prospects. Michigan State, Minnesota, and Illinois are the only Big Ten schools with just two four-star recruits. Each of the other six conference programs that are ranked higher has three or more.

Two things are certain as the 2026 season is still a calendar year away. First, the Big Ten is going to be even better than it has been assumed over the past several seasons, with back-to-back national champions coming from the conference. Many other teams are going to be elite that usually are not.

Second, competing schools can get all the four and five-star commits that they want, but it comes down to coaching, scheme, and performance on the field. The top four recruiting classes from the 2025 season did not make the national championship game.

The Spartans have thrived in the past on underrated prospects that may not get the national recognition that others do. Former head coach Mark Dantonio used to love getting recruits from Ohio that the Buckeyes did not take, proceeding to beat them numerous times over the years.

It is somewhat daunting knowing that a majority of the Big Ten is improving drastically and setting themselves up for success, passing the Spartans at this point in the offseason. This only fuels Michigan State to continue grabbing the best prospects and seeking to dominate the conference.

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