Jonathan Smith, Michigan State Spartan Football Hosted 3-Star Safety This Weekend

Michigan State and Coach Jonathan Smith efficiently used this weekend's Spartan Dawg Con. Coach Smith hosted a talented safety from Ohio this past weekend.

Jul 24, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Jonathan Smith speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan State’s football program has used Spartan Dawg Con over the last three seasons to broaden its reach on the recruiting trail and strengthen the relationship. The event brings together Michigan State players of every era, past, present, and future. It has benefited Michigan State’s football program and was again this offseason for Coach Smith and his coaching staff. As Michigan State nears the start of the Coach Smith era in East Lansing, the Spartan Dawg Con event gave Coach Smith another opportunity to interact with prized recruits.  

As former and current Michigan State football players gathered with 2024 commits and Michigan State prospects in future recruiting classes in East Lansing, Coach Smith and his coaching staff continued to make the most of their time with future recruits, expressing interest in talented players from around the country. The event has been an asset to Michigan State’s football program since its inception a few seasons ago. It was even more valuable to Coach Smith in his first offseason at Michigan State, allowing him to expedite the recruiting process for future recruiting classes. 

Michigan State and Coach Smith have prioritized athletes from around the Midwest in upcoming recruiting classes and stayed consistent with that tendency when they hosted three-star safety RJ Holland at the Spartan Dawg Con event this past weekend. The Pickerington, Ohio native announced his visit on social media platform X. According to 247Sports, Holland is ranked the 42nd-best safety and 37th-best player from Ohio in the 2026 recruiting class. 

In addition to Michigan State, Holland has received scholarship offers from more than ten football programs, including Illinois, Cincinnati, Minnesota, and Marshall.  As Coach Smith and Michigan State embark on their new jersey together, it will take Coach Smith and his coaching staff remaining consistent on the recruiting trail. For Coach Smith to accomplish his goal of swiftly turning around Michigan State’s football program, it will heavily depend on his ability to recruit talented players successfully. 

So far, he has shown the ability to do so, as he has secured a solid transfer portal class, nearly filled Michigan State’s 2025 recruiting class, and has already begun doing his due diligence on recruiting classes beyond 2025. For his tenure to be successful, he must complete the process of bringing the talented players with whom he has expressed interest to Michigan State.

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