Who Could Be Spartans' Next Pipeline School?
Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith and his staff have committed to building up strong relationships in the state and begin to mend some of the fences previously broken by another regime. In that, they have found a couple of schools to recruit heavily.
Orchard Lake St. Mary's, in particular, has become a go-to for the Spartan staff. In the 2025 class, Michigan State grabbed five players off of their state championship-winning squad. The Spartans have already offered players from their younger classes and continue to recruit them heavily.
But who could the next Spartan pipeline be? What school could be next up for Coach Smith and his staff to recruit hard and build a strong relationship?
It may be River Rouge High School, a metro Detroit Area school who have had plenty of notable alumni over the years. Michigan State currently rosters multiple River Rouge graduates, including Nick Marsh, who was one of the best receivers in the Big Ten despite only being a freshman.
River Rouge recently hired former Belleville High School head coach Jermain Crowell, a coach with an incredible track record of putting multiple players a year onto Power Four teams.
Knowing the connection Michigan State already has to River Rouge, accompanied by an extremely accomplished coach with a proven track record of developing players at a high level, could be the perfect fit for both parties. The stock on River Rouge players likely jumps significantly with this coaching change.
As the Spartans continue to form a strong alliance with high school teams across the state of Michigan, it will be interesting to see which ones stick and become mainstays of the Spartan program. Places like East Lansing High School have always been a spot for Michigan State to pluck players who grew up in the shadow of the stadium and dreamed about one day playing there.
Coach Smith and his team have also found some one-off schools with talent that may have been overlooked. Grabbing players from schools that weren't considered traditional powerhouses, like Derrick Simmons and Brady Pretzlaff from Gaylord, is extremely important and builds the credibility of the program.
It shows the staff's ability to go find the talent, develop a relationship from scratch and have a genuine connection with the school and the player. Coach Smith and his staff have made that commitment, and it should start playing dividends soon.
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Graham, the founder of High School Football Frenzy, covers high school football, hockey, and basketball across the Big Ten. He provides in-depth reports on prospects at all levels and builds strong relationships with coaches and players. Joining the On SI team as a Big Ten Recruiting Beat Writer, Graham brings extensive knowledge of the Big Ten region, recruiting prospects, and high schools.