What Separates Current MSU Football Staff From the Mel Tucker Era in Recruiting
Michigan State football head coach Jonathan Smith made it his top priority Day 1 to reinvigorate the Spartans' recruiting presence in their home state. It had been lost during the Mel Tucker era. Tucker wanted to compete with SEC schools on the recruiting trail, and while he did manage to secure blue chip talent now and again, it ultimately failed. In the wake, he also lost the Spartans' grip on the state.
The Spartans have always gotten the best out of homegrown in-state talent. If you aren't a blue blood like Alabama, Ohio State, or Oklahoma, you have to make due. The Spartans under Mark Dantonio, for example, made due.
Dantonio recruited the mitten and the surrounding Midwestern states, and it yielded successful results. From the overlooked talent came gems like Kirk Cousins, one of the best players and possibly the best leader in Spartans history, the explosive playmaker Keshawn Martin, and the Bulloughs, and more.
Now, Smith is trying to do the same. So far, he has made good on his promise to recruit the state hard. Seven of his 15 2025 commits are from the state of Michigan. Three alone are from Orchard Lake St. Mary's and two are from Macomb Dakota, both southeast Michigan powers just outside of Detroit.
St. Mary's recruiting coordinator and associate head coach, Greg Dixon, applauds Smith for recruiting the state. The pipeline to East Lansing is a testament to Smith, his staff, and the relationship they have carefully built with the prep school in such a short span of time.
"I just think this current staff is just really focused on taking care of home," Dixon told me. "That's one of the big things Coach Smith said to us is he wants to recruit Michigan and Ohio, take care of the backyard. He said just looking through he realized how much talent is here, he wanted to make sure he had a good footprint here. And I feel like that's been missing in our state with some of the universities, so it's been refreshing to see that type of effort and then the follow-through with this coaching staff."
Smith and his staff are making their presence known in the state. At this pace, Spartans could be the recruiting trail power sooner rather than later.
Michael France is Sports Illustrated's Michigan State recruiting beat writer, covering all things Big Ten recruiting for Spartan Nation. Be sure to follow him on Twitter/X@michaelfrancesi for exclusive Spartans recruiting coverage.
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MICHAEL FRANCE