Michigan State Offers Scholarship to 4-Star DB from Detroit

Michigan State and Coach Jonathan Smith continue a strong recruiting push to end the summer, offering a scholarship to four-star defensive back Elijah Dotson.

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 coach Jonathan Smith has stayed true to his word and continued to make players from Michigan and surrounding states in the Midwest a top priority on the recruiting trail.

After recently completing a successful Spartan Dawg Con recruiting event, Coach Smith is back at it, finding talented players from Michigan to invite to East Lansing as he begins the process of rebuilding Michigan State’s football program. Smith thoroughly understands the benefits of a strong presence on the recruiting trail, even if Michigan State fails to sign a prospective player.

After extending multiple scholarship offers to players of varying rankings and talent levels, Smith circled back to talented defensive back Elijah Dotson. The Detroit native committed to Pittsburgh this summer, shortly before official visits began. However, Smith has added Michigan State for Dotson’s consideration. 

After initially attending the University of Detroit Jesuit, the 6-foot-2, 175-pound safety will end his high school football career at Belleville High School. According to 247Sports, Dotson is a four-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting class. He is ranked as the 23rd-best safety in the 2025 recruiting class and the third-best player from Michigan in the class. 

Dotson announced the scholarship offer from Michigan State on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The 247Sports Composite rankings have Dotson ranked as the 396th-best player in the 2025 recruiting class and the 36th-best player in the 2025 recruiting class. Should he choose to stay home and flip his commitment from Pitt to Michigan State, he would undoubtedly be one of the best players Smith and Michigan State signed.

Smith has continued to offer scholarships to players in and around Michigan, and players ranked with three or more stars on the recruiting trail. He hopes his commitment to recruiting well in Michigan will pay off, but with Dotson being one of the top players in the 2025 recruiting class, Smith may see the fruits of his in-state labor much sooner than initially planned. As Smith starts turning around Michigan State’s football program, he will need players like Dotson to stay in Michigan to help make it happen.

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