EXCLUSIVE: Prep Coach Gives Insight into MSU Football Target
The Michigan State Spartans are interested in Orchard Lake St. Mary's 2026 cornerback Kareem Pruitt.
It is fitting, because the Spartans have built a solid pipeline within the school not even a calendar year into head coach Jonathan Smith's tenure. They have secured three commits from the 2025 class alone -- linebacker DJ White, tight end Jayden Savoury, and wide receiver Bryson Williams.
Pruitt could be next. I spoke with assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator of St. Mary's, Greg Dixon. Dixon put me onto Pruitt this summer when we met at a 7-on-7 event hosted by The D Zone.
There's plenty to like about Pruitt. He's a "shade under 6-foot-4" and hovering around between 170 and 175 pounds. Lot of speed and physicality. But Dixon thinks the ceiling is high.
"The good thing about him to is he's very strong. And he hits too. He's only a junior, I figure by the time he's in college, you know, he probably could be very close to 195 to 200 pounds," Dixon said. "He has great footwork, he is a basketball player too, he's able to jump out the gym. Very long arms, so he's very rangy. He's going to grow, he has the frame to continue to grow. I don't see a weakness as far as his frame. He has room to put a lot of weight on and he's very strong. He plays like he's a 225 pound linebacker.
"Getting into a college program, I think it's an intriguing prospect, right? You look at some of the bigger secondary guys, you're getting some of these big wide receivers now too like a Nick Marsh, right, that's at Michigan State. You got guys that size-wise, height-wise, are tough matchups in a jump ball situation. They don't have much of a chance. I think [Kareem] represents the trend where you're seeing some taller, lankier defensive backs to match that offensive attack."
The Spartans want long, physical defensive backs. Tools are big with cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin. The fact that with weight, Pruitt could play safety or nickel, think an Angelo Grose jack-of-all-trades role in Joe Rossi's defense is also very enticing.
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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