MSU Football Continues Push for Elite In-State Talent
In this story:
Michigan State football truly wants the best players in its state to go to State.
The Spartans have set another official visit date with another one of the top recruits from the state of Michigan. On Tuesday, Farmington (Mich.) EDGE defender Myles Smith announced that he would be taking an official visit to East Lansing on May 29-31. He will also visit Kentucky from June 12-14.
@MSU_Football @MIexposure @BrandonHuffman @coachalbrecht50 @SWiltfong_ @TheD_Zone @Coach_DeBo46 pic.twitter.com/VLNjBAc5RV
— Myles Smith 4⭐️Edge (@MylesS98) February 25, 2026
Smith is currently rated as a four-star prospect by two of the three major recruiting services. Rivals and ESPN currently peg him there, while 247Sports currently has him as a higher-end three-star prospect. Rivals' Industry Ranking (which combines the three of them) puts Smith 156th overall in the entire class of 2027, 19th among EDGE defenders, and third among players from Michigan.
Rivals individually is the service that is the highest on Smith. The site themselves currently ranks Smith 47th overall in the entire class, sixth among EDGE defenders, and second in the state.
More on MSU's In-State Recruiting
A venn diagram of the top players in the class of 2027 from Michigan and the players Michigan State is currently targeting would have a large list of names in the center. The Spartans have not been shy about going for top-end talent from the state at all.
One example of this is Harper Woods wide receiver Dakota Guerrant, who is the top player in the state and is closer to five-star status than mid-tier four-star status at 46th overall on the Rivals Industry Ranking. It's a long shot for MSU to get him, with Oregon appearing to be the favorite right now, but the Spartans haven't faded into obscurity in his recruitment.
The players that Michigan State have a better shot at are slightly further down the list. Smith is right there as the third-best player in the state, but MSU has been seriously pushing for four-star Detroit Catholic Central corner Gideon Gash, who is the brother of recent Spartan signee Samson Gash. Gideon is ranked 158th overall in the '27 class, which is right behind Smith.
Michigan State has also already gotten the commitment of East Grand Rapids interior offensive lineman Grant Adloff, who is 10th in the state on the Rivals Industry Rankings. Howell linebacker Bryce Kish is at 11th in the state on those rankings and has an official visit set for June 5-7, but he'll be higher up on the list soon --- Rivals is the only major outlet to evaluate him so far, and they pegged him at 60th overall in the class, fifth among linebackers, and third in the state.
Keep up with all our content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share your thoughts on MSU's recruitment of Smith when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE. Don't forget to give us a follow on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.
Never again miss one major story related to your beloved Spartans when you sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. SIGN UP HERE NOW
A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
Follow jacobcotsonika