Michigan State to Host 2027 In-State Cornerback at Season Opener

Michigan State football coach Jonathan Smith has remained active on the recruiting trail. He recently set up a visit with a talented CB Jaeden Byrd, from Brighton, Michigan.

Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith looks on during the first day of football camp on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

As Coach Jonathan Smith and Michigan State continue to wrap up their recruiting efforts for the 2025 recruiting class, Coach Smith also continues to plan for the future by expressing interest in players of various talent levels in future recruiting classes.

Aug. 1 marked the first day colleges nationwide could officially extend scholarship offers to players in the 2025 recruiting class, but Smith is thinking much further into the future as he has invited multiple players to regular-season games on Michigan State’s schedule this season, including an in-state cornerback prospect.

Jaeden Byrd is a cornerback from Brighton, Michigan in the 2027 recruiting class. He recently announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Michigan State extended him a formal invitation to attend the Spartans' season opener against Florida Atlantic.

Byrd does not have a profile on 247Sports. However, according to The D Zone, the 6-foot, 170-pound cornerback is interested in multiple Big Ten schools, including Michigan State, Michigan, Tennessee, UCLA and Ferris State. While he has limited experience at the cornerback position, Byrd has shown massive potential in many camps this offseason.

He would likely be the type of player Smith would like to use his proven development abilities on. 

Smith invited players such as Byrd to the team’s home opener, which proves he has made up for lost time on the recruiting trail. It also proves Smith has put much thought into what it will take to rebuild the foundation of Michigan State’s football program successfully. While Byrd is not the highest-ranked player, nor does he have much experience or many accolades, he does represent another player Smith believes he can develop over time, should Byrd commit to Michigan State. 

Expressing interest in Byrd is another example of Smith staying true to his word and emphasizing in-state players on the recruiting trail. Smith understands the importance of Michigan players and how they will more than likely stick around for multiple years instead of entering the transfer portal in the near future.

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