EXCLUSIVE: Top Michigan High School Football Coach on What He Tells His Players During Recruiting
Coach Jonathan Smith and Michigan State are focusing on their home state in recruiting.
One of their most coveted targets is 2025 three-star athlete Desmond Straughton.
The Roseville High School product plays safety and running back -- but he will likely find a home on the defensive side of the ball.
Straughton is the No. 6 player in the state, per 247Sports.
Roseville head coach Vernard Snowden is no stranger to next-level talent.
Since his arrival in 2019, Snowden has turned the school into a consistent winner and sent several players to Division I football. Notable players include former Michigan State wide receiver Tyrell Henry and Snowden's son, cornerback Amare Snowden. Both are at Wisconsin.
Snowden told Spartan Nation about his role in the recruiting process.
"I try to forefront my guys' recruiting," he said. "I've been fortunate enough over my high school coaching tenure to develop and build relationships with a lot of college coaches. So, some of these coaches who have reached out to Des, his sophomore year, were guys where I say, 'Listen, this kid is gonna be really special, take a look at him.' And once people know who he is, then, you know, Des starts building relationships with those guys.
"I talk to coaches all the time about Des and that's one of the main things I do ... I try to front [my players'] recruiting and then turn it over to them as it gets later and let them go ahead and do what they need to do."
Snowden said he has built a working relationship with Spartans wide receiver coach Courtney Hawkins. He has been connected with Michigan State's recruiting department.
Snowden has found the new faces to be easy to work with, too.
"Since Coach Smith and his new staff, you know, they made it their business -- safeties coach [Blue Adams], running backs coach [Keith Bhonapha], along with Coach Smith, they came into the school -- they made it their business to swing by ... and [we're] starting to build a relationship over the last five, six months since Coach Smith took over."
When it comes to how Snowden guides his players in the recruiting process, he keeps it simple.
"With me ... I tell the players 'Don't fall in love with the coach, fall in love with the place.' We see how coaches, players, everybody move around so much -- so I'm always on 'Don't fall in love the coach, fall in love with the city, the school, the town," said Snowden. "I went through that with my son [Amare Snowden] while he was being recruited ... you can't fall in love with the coach because the coach can leave on any game.
"' ... Can you see yourself staying there when that coach leaves?' And I get it, now with the transfer portal, these kids don't have to stay. But I try to educate them on finding a place, finding a city, finding something that can gravitate you to that place -- even when the coach leaves."
As a good mentor, Snowden does not meddle with a player's choice.
"At the end of the day, it's always their decision," he said. "Do they come and ask me for advice? I never tell them to go to certain place or persuade them to go to a school -- I just give them pros and cons based off, you know, can you stay there, look at the depth chart, can you be patient enough. You look at Coach Smith ... he's just getting there, so can you be patient enough to wait until he gets Michigan State rolling?
"Can you be patient enough to know that there might be some transfers coming in and you sit for two years to wait your turn? So, those are the questions and those are the things that I'm trying to help our players through the process."
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