Jonathan Smith's Spartans Not Resting on Bye, Hitting the Trail Hard
The Michigan State Spartans' football season is winding down slowly but surely. They are amidst their second bye week of the season following a horrendous loss to the Indiana Hoosiers last week.
The week will be critical for the players to rest and regroup for the final stretch of the season, where the Spartans hope to make a push for a bowl game. The coaching staff has other plans for the bye week, however.
Now is a critical time to get back on the trail, even if it is for a business week, and try to spread the Spartans' influence across the regions they are targeting. The 2026 class and beyond are on the minds of the Spartans as they try to build pipelines and maintain old ones.
Per Jason Killop of On3, the Spartans will be all over the Mitten state.
"The head coach, along with tight ends coach Brian Wozniak are also expected to stop in Detroit Catholic Central High School during the day," Killop wrote. "DCC is home to 2026 four-star tight end target Jack Janda, along with 2026 offensive guard Benjamin Ezuika. The Spartans are also showing interest in class of 2025 offensive lineman Danilo Guberinich. ... He recently picked up offers from Vanderbilt and Purdue. Michigan State could be next to join the mix with an offer after the in-person evaluation by [Michigan State offensive line coach Jim Michalczik] on Friday evening."
Smith was also to make an appearance at Davison High School, where top 2026 offensive lineman Ben Nichols has dominated as one of the top players in the class. Nichols has connected with Coach Jonathan Smith and told me he thinks highly of him. The program as a whole is high on his list.
"[Michigan State] for sure, Tennessee, Penn State, Wisconsin, Notre Dame," Nichols said. "That's the majority of the main schools. Iowa's another one that I like. But hopefully, I get through all of these visits this year."
Smith has a son who plays for local Haslett, and in attending the Haslett-Chelsea playoff game, he will be in attendance for 2026 running back Kory Amachree.
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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