That's 5: MSU Football Continues to Strengthen In-State Prep Pipeline

Michigan State was on a mission to gain ground on the recruiting trail in under Coach Jonathan Smith, especially in its home state.

This led Smith and Co. to take a wide-spanning tour around the state early on. It landed them on the doorstep of Orchard Lake St. Mary's and Recruiting Coordinator Greg Dixon. The relationship between the two programs grew quickly, and now it has paid off in five commitments or signings for the Spartans.

The latest was offensive tackle Antonio Johnson. The Spartans had been a favorite for pretty much the entire 2025 cycle. I spoke with some sources with direct knowledge of the situation this summer, and I was told that Johnson was all in on Michigan State. His commitment came late for other reasons.

The first was linebacker DJ White, a 6-foot-3, 202-pounder who is uber-athletic and lean enough to be moved to safety or perhaps be a rover for Spartans defensive coordinator Joe Rossi. He was recently given four-star status by 247Sports.

White was the Spartans' second commit of the 2025 cycle and a proactive recruiter of his Eaglets teammates, as well as a vocal advocate for Michigan State's image around the state as a whole. White is a prime example of what the Spartans want -- a tough, gritty player who plays the intellectual game and stresses culture and the details.

Soon to follow white was rising tight end prospect Jayden Savoury, a basketball standout who took up the sport late. Savoury is 6-foot-6 and had a meteoric rise as a prospect, with good athleticism and route-running ability; his pass-catching ability really came along throughout his senior year as his catch radius expanded, and his growth as a blocker was a positive trend as well.

The commitment of running back/wide receiver Bryson Williams was the most anticipated of the bunch, as he was one of the better athletes in the country and has the versatility and IQ the Spartans like; Williams was called a Deebo Samuel type by the Spartans' staff.

He certainly fits the bill for Spartans running backs coach Keith Bhonapha.

"I talked about, guys playing both sides of the ball. I think that gives us a big opportunity to really evaluate their [football intelligence]," Bhonapha said back in August. "Because if a guy can play both sides of the ball in high school. ... Doing those sort of background checks can see what kind of football mind he has, we're already ahead of the curve. I think at the end of the day, I want those guys that are hungry, that are competitive and have that urge to continue to take the next step. That's really what I'm looking for. But they gotta be fast. I know that. They gotta be able to score touchdowns."

Williams can certainly do both. He did not sign during the early signing period, and it is up in the air as to what he will do in the future, though the Spartans seemingly still have his commitment at the moment.

Running back Darrin Jones committed as a preferred walk-on; Jones has a good frame and a good connection with Bhonapha. He dominated in the MHSAA Division II finals.

Still, the most fruitful part of the Michigan State-Orchard Lakes relationship isn't the commits or signees.

It's huge for the Spartans' standing in the state as a whole.

"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."

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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