Successful June Could be a Sign of Things to Come for Spartan Football

Michigan State and Coach Jonathan Smith were in need of a successful month of June. The level of success Coach Smith had in June could be a sign of things to come.

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 entered June with big hopes and plans on the recruiting trail.

As the calendar turned to June, Coach Smith remained cautiously optimistic, and the Spartans were able to fully get going with their many official visits and scholarship offers. The anticipation could be felt in Smith’s words when describing what was coming for him and his coaching staff. 

Prior to June, Smith and his coaching staff had spent most of the offseason trying to replace the talent they had lost in the transfer portal earlier this offseason. The Spartans lost nearly 20 scholarship players, including multiple starters on the defensive side of the ball. While the Spartans eventually recovered from their earlier losses in the transfer portal to finish with one of the top transfer portals in the country, Smith was undoubtedly ready to make progress on the recruiting trail as well. 

Smith and his coaching staff only had a few commitments for the 2025 recruiting class until a strong recruiting push in June changed that. After hosting a camp in East Lansing that allowed Smith and his coaching staff to get in front of more recruits and let him and his coaching staff get a better look at prospects, the Spartans made an impression on many recruits.

June allowed Smith and his coaching staff to add quality talent to their 2025 recruiting class, which was nearly empty entering June. At the beginning of June, Smith and Michigan State had five commits from the 2025 recruiting class. With a few days remaining in the month, they have added nine players to the class.

Nearly all players who have committed to the Spartans’ 2025 recruiting classes are three-star athletes, and most of those signees are also from Michigan. These traits are common among players to whom Smith and his coaching staff have offered scholarships. 

While time will undoubtedly tell how well Smith’s approach to the recruiting trail will pan out, he is already laying what has the potential to be a strong foundation for rebuilding Michigan State’s college football program. Three-star players may not be as polarizing as four- and five-star athletes, but given where Michigan State is in the rebuilding process, those are the most likely to sign with the Spartans. 

Attracting in-state talent and talent from surrounding Midwest states to East Lansing, then developing them for years to come, seems to be a significant part of Smith’s plans for the future. If he can continue recruiting like he did in June and then can coach those three-star athletes to fringe four-star athletes, Smith’s vision of what is to come for Michigan State’s football program can be seen through what was a productive month of June.

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