3 Targets to Watch in Attendance For MSU-Iowa
The Michigan State Spartans will look to climb back to .500 in Big Ten play against the Iowa Hawkeyes for a Saturday night homecoming matchup.
There will be a good amount of commits and recruits in attendance, and especially those that will be new faces on a Spartans gameday visit. The Spartans have made a good impact on their targets who have been in attendance on gamedays.
Head coach Jonathan Smith and his talented staff are targeting the 2026 and 2027 classes very hard and a majority of recruits that have been in Spartan Stadium this season have from those two classes.
With the weather getting worse as winter approaches, the number will likely go down.
The Iowa game has some big names in attendance. Who are the ones to keep an eye on?
Elijah Dotson, Belleville (MI), S
Dotson is one of the best players in the 2025 class and only the second-best player in the state, behind his talented teammate Bryce Underwood (LSU commit and the No. 1 player in the entire class).
I saw Dotson play at a 7-on-7 this summer -- he was every bit electric as billed. Dotson is the No. 10 safety in the class and the 118th player in the class, per 247Sports. He is committed to Pitt, which makes the situation all the more significant.
If the Spartans could flip Dotson, not only are they getting one of the best players in the 2025 class and a bona fide blue-chip talent -- they would be sending a message about how this program will recruit under Smith.
Allen Trieu evaluated Dotson.
"Has played safety, corner, receiver, return man and some wildcat quarterback in high school. Has above average size and plays physically," Trieu wrote. "Will put his face in the action in run support and will get his hands on receivers if playing man to man. Receiver background helps in his ball skills. Versatile and can play deep in the secondary or come into the box as well as match-up one on one with slots and tight ends. Most likely projection is safety, but it is not out of the question a school could try him as a big corner. Track background speaks to his athleticism and has enough straight line speed to recover and run down plays."
CJ Sanna, Olentengy (MI), LB
A rising three-star 2026 linebacker with all the traits and tools you'd want. 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, Sanna has nine offers, from the Spartans, Iowa, Pitt, Purdue, Wisconsin, and more. All are recent, too.
Sanna could play just about any position in Joe Rossi's defense. A good showing from the Spartans would go a long way.
Nelson Peterson Jr., Forney (TX), QB
The 2026 quarterback is a four-star per 247Sports and the No. 15 quarterback in the class. Overall, he is just shy of Top 200 status, at No. 205. The 6-foot-2 product has an offer from Ole Miss and Texas Tech each. That is it. It is sure to blow up.
Peterson is a good athlete with a track background and a lively arm. That the Spartans are able to get him to visit East Lansing is a big win.
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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