EXCLUSIVE: Elite Spartans Target Gives Valuable Key Into Recruitment

The Michigan State Spartans recently offered cornerback Jalen Williams. In this exclusive, Williams discusses what might be the most important thing he will look for in a program.

Oct 26, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Jonathan Smith on the sideline in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Michigan State Spartans are quickly becoming more invested in the 2026 recruiting class. They have increased their number of 2026 offers tenfold this fall, and it is apparent that the focus has just about completely shifted from 2025 to 2026.

The Spartans have 15 recruits in the 2025 class now, with the flipped commitment of tight end Emmett Bork, who is committed to Big Ten rival Wisconsin. The 2026 class has been a mixed bag in regard to what the Spartans are targeting, but one unit has gotten a lot of attention: the secondary.

Cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin and safeties coach Blue Adams are aggressive this time around. The Spartans have offered a fair amount of blue-chip, four-star safeties and nickels. For the position of cornerback, they are seemingly taking another approach: underrated gems from the South.

States like Georgia, for example, are hotbeds for talent that goes overlooked because of a lack of stars or even exposure. In such football meccas that compete at a high level, it is easy for talented prospects to slip between the cracks.

The Spartans' offer of Jalen Williams ensures that won't be the case. Williams is a 6-foot, 160-pound cornerback out of Marietta, Georgia. He has 24 offers, with notable programs such as Auburn, Kentucky, Missouri, Ole Miss, and Tennessee among them.

I spoke with Williams, who said he was offered by both Martin and Adams. The relationship between the prospect and the program is evidently very young and will take time to build. But Williams gave me some key insights into what he wants to see from a program during an official visit this spring.

Perhaps most notable was the family aspect, and I'm not referring to the atmosphere around the program (something the Spartans have done well). He told me he wants his family treated right and accounted for by a program vying for his talents.

"If they are only talking to me and not talking to my family, my family doesn't know what's going on," Williams said. "I'm very close with my dad [Ronel]. My dad is like my best friend. ... I take that seriously, they have to treat [my family] as well as they treat me if they want me that bad."

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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