EXCLUSIVE: Eliyjah Caldwell-Hardy Explains His Michigan State Commitment
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The Michigan State Spartans landed three more defensive commits over the weekend as they have continued to dominate the month of June.
One of the three was class of 2026 three-star safety Eliyjah Caldwell-Hardy, who announced his commitment to the Michigan State Spartans on Sunday. He caught up with Michigan State Spartans On SI to discuss it.
"It felt like home," Caldwell-Hardy said. "The staff made me feel as if I was family, and it was a big family. I believe in what Coach (Jonathan) Smith, (Joe) Rossi (defensive coordinator), and (James) Adams (safeties coach) are doing with the program and they made me feel that I would fit right in and develop me not only as a player but as a young man!"
#SpartanNation what yall think??? #GoGreen @MSUFBRecruiting @MSU_Football @impactlionsfb @JerrandN @rivals @247sports @One11Recruiting @On3Recruits @PrepRedzoneFL @itgnext_florida @maxpreps @DomoAthletics @ChadSimmons_ @SWiltfong_ @tomloy247 @JohnGarcia_Jr @Andrew_Ivins… pic.twitter.com/sXOpZdrY6y
— 3⭐️ Eliyjah “TurnUp” Caldwell-Hardy (@turn_up14) June 7, 2025
The talented commit has felt like a priority for some time now, and his visit helped show him that.
"Coach James opened up and made me feel like family from the moment I landed and made sure that I was taken care of all weekend," Caldwell-Hardy said. "He let me know that he plans to use me as a safety and develop me as the QB of the defense!"
The prospect is looking to help the Spartans' staff in a huge way, as the safety commit will be peer recruiting for the team in green.
"As of right now, I’m just soaking everything in. But down the line, I do plan on trying to bring in some talent to East Lansing with me!" Caldwell-Hardy said.
The Michigan State Spartans had a priceless reaction to his commit, as Caldwell-Hardy broke down the moment that he gave the coaches the words they were hopeful to hear.
"They were extremely excited," he said. "Coach Adams grabbed me and hugged me like it was Xmas and said LETS GOOOOO!"
Caldwell-Hardy will no longer visit any other schools, as he is locking it down.
"MSU really laid out the red carpet for me! I was able to check out the campus and facilities, which were amazing!" he said. "What stood out most is how I know they are recruiting me to play football, but they pushed academics first, which is important to my family!"
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Caleb Sisk is a talented sports journalist from the state of Georgia. Originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, Sisk's passion for sports grew. Bringing years of recruiting coverage experience, he has been named a National Recruiting Reporter and covers various college sites on the On SI network. He takes pride in covering recruiting and has been featured by numerous companies for his excellent coverage and knowledge. He has also spent time at other companies, including Rivals, where he covered the Tennessee Volunteers.