Michigan State RB and East Lansing Native Jace Clarizio is Ready to Shine

Michigan State and Coach Jonathan Smith recently secured a quality recruit in the 2025 recruiting class when they landed running back Jace Clarizio. Although Clarizio is from East Lansing, his commitment to the Spartans as they try to rebuild their program caught some by surprise. However, for Clarizio, joining Michigan State was a dream come true.

"It's just a dream come true," Clarizio said, per Brian Calloway of the Lansing State Journal. "I've been dreaming about this ever since I picked up a football. From watching the games all the years and being like, 'Man, I can't wait until I'm out there,' and telling my parents that. It's really just a dream come true. It's really surreal."

Clarizio said Michigan State running backs coach Keith Bhonapha was pivotal in keeping him in East Lansing. Coach Bhonapha sold him on the idea of playing for the Spartans, his hometown team.

"(Coach Bhonapha was) telling me all these things about me having a great opportunity being a hometown kid and saying I'll have a great opportunity with marketing ... . I'll have an opportunity pretty much no other kid can get because I'm from the same city," Clarizio said. "I'm from East Lansing. I grew up in East Lansing my whole life. It's that piece and the scheme. We've been talking football for a while. The football stuff was good.”

Clarizio feels he has an advantage over other incoming freshmen, as he is already familiar with East Lansing. He feels a weight has been lifted off his shoulders now that he has picked a school.

"Just me being right here. I kind of have an advantage just from learning the playbook, being around, learning the little details that he wants to get me on the field as quick as possible,” Clarizio said. “I feel like I have a lot of advantages being so close.

"That's a lot of pressure off my shoulders and a lot of stress off my body. I'm super relieved that I know where I'm going, and now I can just focus on what I've got to do. I'm happy with it. I feel like I've got a great opportunity. MSU is a great school. I feel great about it, and I'm just ready to see what the future holds."

Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.