Spartans Offer Intriguing 2026 LB Prospect
Under Coach Jonathan Smith, the Michigan State Spartans want athletes and true-blue football players. Toughness, grit, and work ethic are to be hallmarks for the Smith era. They like do-it-all players and those with two-way backgrounds.
Perhaps Spartans running backs coach Keith Bhonapha put it best this past fall.
"I talked about you know, guys playing both sides of the ball. I think that gives us a big opportunity to really evaluate their [football intelligence]," Bhonapha said. "Because if a guy can play both sides of the ball in high school. ... Doing those sort of background checks can see what kind of football mind he has, we're already ahead of the curve. I think at the end of the day, I want those guys that are hungry, that are competitive, and have that urge to continue to take the next step."
2026 linebacker Jacob Savage of Ryle High School in Kentucky is an interesting prospect. He also plays running back, and his 6-foot-1-and-a-half, 220-pound frame runs a laser-verified 4.64 40-yard dash. Football intelligence, measurables, ball skills, ability. Seems like Savage has them in droves, and that is why the Spartans just offered him.
He announced the offer on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday.
Savage notched 141 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, three sacks and an interception at linebacker, where he will find a home at the next level. He holds offers from Louisville, Indiana, and Georgia Tech, among others.
He has visited Louisville and Indiana, both schools not too far from Savage's hometown. Indiana made a strong impression on Savage.
"I was impressed with the defense as a whole, and especially the linebackers," Savage said of his gameday visit to 247Sports. "The linebackers were flying around and making plays and I was really impressed with that."
Savage's athleticism makes him a fit for defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Joe Rossi. Rossi likes linebackers who can handle business in coverage. In explaining the Mike linebacker, or rather his prototype for the position, Rossi was definitive in the type player he wants.
"From a physical standpoint, you gotta have guys that are comfortable in space," he once said. "You wouldn't even think that I would say that to start with the Mike, but you know, the Mike ends up out of the box all of the time in three-by-one formations, and so the guy has got to be physical and he's got to be able to stop the run, all those things, I got it. You know, if you're getting recruited as a Mike, you gotta have that skillset but you gotta be comfortable in coverage. Doesn't mean you're playing man-to-man on people all the time, but it just means you got to be able to go out there play in space and function."
Savage's speed and fluidity, thanks to his running back athleticism, make him an intriguing linebacker prospect.
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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