Pascack Valley football hosts River Dell, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, Hillsdale, New Jersey. PV #10 Adam Shaw. Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan State Offers Three-Star Class of 2026 Legacy LB

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated May 23, 2025 1:24 PM ET

Michigan State football is in desperate need of adding to its 2026 recruiting class.

The Spartans don't have a whole lot of leverage right now as a program coming off a five-win season in a still relatively new regime, all while being in the same region as college football's last two national champions, Michigan and Ohio State.

When that's the case, you have to make the most of every advantage you get, and one of those is legacy prospects.

The Spartans have a chance to land one with class of 2026 linebacker Adam Shaw of Pascack Valley High School in New Jersey. The prospect announced on social media on Thursday that he had been offered by the program.

Thank you @JoeS_Rossi @Coach_Smith for the opportunity! I’m extremely blessed to receive an offer from Michigan State and to carry on the family legacy. #SpartanDawg #PassTheTorch #BigTen @PValleyFootball @dbacks_academy @SimmsComplete @MSU_Football pic.twitter.com/DnsY3cEEXc
— Adam Shaw (@Adam_Shawdawg) May 23, 2025

Shaw is rated a three-star by 247Sports, which has him ranked the No. 16 class of 2026 recruit in New Jersey and the No. 46 linebacker in his class. He also plays quarterback and threw for 1,341 yards and 13 touchdowns while running for 1,021 yards and 15 touchdowns last season.

The 6-3, 205-pound prospect is the son of former Spartan offensive tackle Scott Shaw.

Scott played at Michigan State under legendary coach Nick Saban from 1995 to 1997. He was named a first-team All-American for his senior season, helping block for a Spartan team that rushed for over 2,000 yards.

Scott would be drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 1998 NFL Draft and would play in two games for the Cincinnati Bengals in his rookie season.

The former Spartan lineman recognized his son's offer from Michigan State.

"Wow! I’m incredibly proud of Adam and feel blessed that he has this offer to play at MSU. #SD4L" he wrote in his repost of Adam's announcement post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Surprisingly, Michigan State doesn't land legacy recruits as often as you might expect. It lost out on Gregory Patrick, son of former Spartan offensive lineman Joe Patrick, who committed to Notre Dame.

The Spartans are in the running to land local four-star legacy recruit Kory Amachree, whose father, Opuene Amachree, played for George Perles at Michigan State, but he is predicted by 247Sports to commit to Kansas. He will announce his decision at 3 p.m.

Michigan State would get a great athlete in Adam, if he were to commit. But the Spartans are up against some competition, with schools like Rutgers and Pitt having offered him as well. He has an official visit to Pitt set for June 5.

Don't miss all the latest on Michigan State recruiting when you follow the official Spartan Nation Facebook page, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and feel free to share your thoughts when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.

You can also find our content on X (Twitter) @MSUSpartansOnSI.

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

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