Jonathan Smith, Michigan State Spartans Offer Scholarship to 3-Star Defensive End

Coach Jonathan Smith and his Michigan State Spartans football team continue to prioritize the offensive and defensive lines in recruiting.

Michigan State's offense and defense play each other during the Spring Showcase on Saturday, April | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA

Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith continues to focus the Spartans’ recruiting efforts on talented three-star athletes nationwide. Coach Smith and his coaching staff have identified many three-star athletes they feel will give Michigan State a legitimate opportunity to win their commitment, and they have gone after them.

As Michigan State loses players from its roster to the transfer portal, Coach Smith and his coaching staff continue to push along on the recruiting trail, hoping to make up some of the talent lost to what has become college football free agency. As the Spartans make moves in the transfer portal, they also continue to make moves recruiting-wise, offering scholarships to many three-star athletes. 

Coach Smith and the Spartans recently offered defensive lineman Sheldon Rice a scholarship. The Fulshear, Texas, native announced Michigan State’s scholarship offer on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to which Rice responded, “Thank you for the offer!”

According to 247Sports, Rice is ranked as the 41st-best edge rusher and the 548th-best overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class composite rankings. Rice is ranked as the 93rd-best player from Texas, a state well-known for producing some of the best talent in college football history.

247Sports says Rice has offers from about 20 different schools. Along with Michigan State, Rice has received offers from schools such as Kansas, Cal, Baylor, Kansas State, Arizona, Pitt, TCU, SMU, and Texas Tech. Michigan State arguably has just as good of a situation as any of those schools. However, some of those schools are much closer to Rice's home and could provide him with more or better NIL benefits. 

On the field, though, the Spartans would likely give Rice a chance to immediately impact a defensive line that has suffered significantly because of the transfer portal. Coach Smith and his coaching staff have hinged the success of their initial recruiting classes on their ability to secure primarily three-star athletes on the recruiting trail.

It is a well-thought-out plan that Coach Smith must deliver or face the possibility of a disappointing first few recruiting classes and losing many players to the transfer portal. Neither of these is a recipe for long-term success in college football.

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