Michigan State's Increased Interest in 4-Star Recruits Give Insight into Future Plans

Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith has attacked his first offseason with a clear and concise plan. Michigan State's interest in two four-star athletes may hint at Smith's next steps.

Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith talks the media on the first national signing day for college football recruits Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. / Nick King / USA TODAY NETWORK

Michigan State and Coach Jonathan Smith are nearing the end of an eventful offseason for the football program.

As Coach Smith and his coaching staff continue to prepare for what may be a difficult season, they have spent much time and resources on securing a formidable transfer portal class and future recruiting classes. With Michigan State making progress on the 2025 recruiting class, Smith and his coaching staff have begun focusing on recruiting classes beyond the 2025 recruiting classes. 

Smith and the Spartans have shown that, at the very least, they have a multi-layered plan to attack the recruiting trail successfully. Their moves so far make it clear that they have experience rebuilding a football program and plan on using that experience to help rebuild Michigan State’s football program. Smith proved at Oregon State that he has what it takes to help return Michigan State football to national prominence. 

Earlier in the offseason, Smith and his coaching staff had to focus their efforts on the transfer portal as Michigan State lost nearly 20 scholarship players. After securing one of the better transfer portal classes this offseason, Smith and the Spartans continued to offer scholarships to many talented players nationwide.

Most of Smith’s offers have been to three-star athletes from the Midwest, as he and his coaching staff wanted to build a strong foundation for the program’s rebuild. They successfully signed serviceable talent but rarely offered scholarships to athletes ranked with more than three stars. Perhaps Smith and the Spartans realized time was of the essence and saw more value in three-star athletes who were more likely to sign with Michigan State at this point in the rebuild. 

However, Smith and his coaching staff have recently expressed interest in more four-star athletes. Michigan State spent the offseason expressing interest and offering scholarships primarily to players ranked with three stars or less. Smith's efforts to sign better players in future recruiting classes prove that his plans were well-planned. He and his coaching staff continue to bet on themselves on the recruiting trail. 

It also shows that Smith is aware enough of the state of Michigan State’s football program to save their recruiting efforts for more talented players for future recruiting classes, giving Michigan State a chance to prove themselves as a legitimate option for players ranked with four stars or more. As Smith and his coaching staff enter their first season in East Lansing, expect more four-star athletes to consider Michigan State in the future, especially if Smith and Michigan State are relatively successful this season.

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