Michigan State Hosting 2026 3-Star In-State TE This Weekend

Michigan State and Coach Jonathan Smith will host many talented players during this year's Spartan Dawg Con. This includes talented in-state tight end, Jack Janda.

Michigan State's offense and defense play each other during the Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA

Spartan Dawg Con is an event that Michigan State’s football program has held for the last three seasons and will host again this season. The event brings together multiple eras of Michigan State football as former players, current players, 2024 commits, and Michigan State prospects in future recruiting classes convene in East Lansing to help strengthen the football program’s brotherhood. However, it is undoubtedly a recruiting tool for Michigan State’s football program, a precious tool for new Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith on the recruiting trail.

Since arriving in East Lansing, Coach Smith has prioritized recruits from Michigan and the surrounding states in the Midwest. He has secured multiple talented players from Michigan and will attempt to gain a commitment from another as Michigan State is set to host three-star tight end Jack Janda at this year’s Spartan Dawg Con event.

Jason Killop of On3 Sports recently reported the Orchard Lake, Mich. native’s visit to East Lansing this weekend. According to 247Sports’ composite rankings, Janda is the 26th-best tight end in the 2026 recruiting class. He is also ranked as the ninth-best player from Michigan and the 444th-best overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class. Michigan State has offered scholarships to multiple players from Orchard Lake, as the school is rich with in-state talent that Michigan State can use to help rebuild its football program. 

While he is only ranked as a three-star athlete, Janda has received offers from many notable programs nationwide. According to 247Sports, Janda has received scholarship offers from nearly 20 schools, including Michigan State. Other schools, such as Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami (FL), Michigan, Oregon, Purdue, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, have all offered the talented tight end a scholarship. 

Since taking over at Michigan State, Coach Smith has constantly been on the recruiting trail. He will undoubtedly face one of the more challenging coaching situations of any coach in college football. However, the easiest way for Coach Smith to shorten the rebuilding process will be to string together multiple respectable recruiting classes early in his tenure at Michigan State. So far, it seems that is the plan for Coach Smith, as the talent level of the prospects he is recruiting has increased with the 2026 prospects Michigan State has recruited.

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