Smith, MSU Football Send Clear Message With Clarizio Signing
The days leading up to Wednesday's National Signing Day were bleak for Michigan State and Coach Jonathan Smith.
They seemed to be without three-star running back Jace Clarizio, who had flipped to Alabama. They had lost another recruit in LaRue Zamorano III, an elite corner who followed Cornerbacks Coach Demetrice Martin. Looked like Aydan West, another defensive back, was going to get poached by either Ohio State or Virginia Tech.
The class seemed likely to shrink on signing day. Perhaps even drastically. Social media was negative in the buildup -- a 5-7 record and the lackluster recruiting after July compounding into questions about whether or not the Spartans could finish strong in the 2025 recruiting cycle.
There was the lingering questions about the future, too.
National Signing Day was just about as good as it could have possibly gotten. The highlight? An earth-moving flip -- Clarizio signed with the Green and White over the Crimson Tide. Just like that, the Spartans seemed back in business.
For Smith, it sends a message and perhaps establishes a mission statement for the rest of college football.
"I think it shows we can compete at the highest level," Smith said on Wednesday. "A couple of these guys had some really high profile options, and we were able to them choose us, have them believe in us and so I think it shows a great direction of where we are heading. I'll say this a little bit, though -- we are going to make our own evaluation, too, we like guys whether they are highly sought after, but we also like guys that have great senior years and continue to work and fit us. So we want to be able to compete at the highest level and trust deeply our own evaluation."
Clarizio, 6-foot and 190 pounds, is one of the key pieces of the recruiting haul. Not just for the fact he was a massive flip, nor his prestige as a recruit.
The East Lansing product's signing is critical for the Spartans' Michigan pipeline, as this first recruiting cycle was crucial for Smith and Co. to establish the Spartans as a premiere destination in the mitten.
Michael France is Sports Illustrated's Michigan State recruiting beat writer, covering all things Big Ten recruiting for Spartan Nation. Be sure to follow him on Twitter/X@michaelfrancesi for exclusive Spartans recruiting coverage.
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