Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith, center, looks on from the sideline during the third quarter in the game against UCLA on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Where MSU Recruiting Stands in Today’s College Football Landscape

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Carter Landis | Last updated Oct 12, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The Michigan State Spartans have dropped three straight games and have now fallen to 3-3 with a 0-3 conference record.

Not only has the on-field product been tough for MSU fans to stomach, but the future has also looked a bit bleaker in the last week.

The Spartans lost their best two high school recruits in the 2026 class, linebacker Braylon Hodge and wide receiver Tyren Wortham, who both decommitted from the class.

Fans were feeling good about where the program was headed under Jonathan Smith this summer when he landed those commitments, but things are looking bleak now that the class has taken a hit with the departures of its top two players.

So, let’s have a little group therapy session about where the MSU football program currently sits.

The state of MSU recruiting

To air out some more grievances, yes, college football programs experience flips and decommitments constantly.

However, the top programs across the country can reload and find elite talent elsewhere when the elite talent they lose goes to another school.

MSU has not had that luxury in the NIL and transfer portal era, and it is unknown if that will continue with J Batt taking over as the Athletic Director (although it does appear that he will do his best to build relationships with donors to funnel more money into the football program).

No matter the coaching staff in place, the Spartans have been a part of a frustrating cycle of identifying elite talent early, securing their commitment, and losing that commitment when bigger programs take notice of those players.

Smith’s 2026 class is still fairly good, but fairly good has not gotten it done for this program in the last few years. Smith must hold onto the commitments from the elite talent he and his staff land.

His staff’s prerogative has always been to find under-the-radar talent and develop it into elite contributors. That team-building method is a slow burn in a time when fans and donors want immediate results.

So, what is the solution for Smith and the MSU football program to find success on the recruiting trail? On-field success, putting players in the league, and more money being placed into the program.

The jury is out on whether any of those things will be the case, but that is what has to happen, especially the first thing: the team must win on the field to turn recruiting around.

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

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