EXCLUSIVE: Spartans Recruiting Target Previews Crucial Official Visit
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The Michigan State Spartans have many important recruit visits coming up. They are set to be the host of plenty of the top recruits in the country and also have a handful of some of the most overlooked and underrated recruits across the land.
With official visit season already being in full swing, the Spartans are looking to bring the best of the best to East Lansing so they can build what they hope to be a powerful 2026 recruiting class.
One of the recruits who is expected to visit on his official visit soon is Eliyjah Caldwell-Hardy, a safety prospect from Impact Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Florida. The Florida high school football standout has offers from multiple schools, including UCLA, Middle Tennessee State, Michigan State, and others.
The 6-foot safety weighs in at 180 pounds and is now rated as a three-star on 247Sports, coming in at 112th among safeties in the class, and 129th among players in Florida.
Caldwell-Hardy received his Michigan State offer in May and quickly set up an official visit, which will begin on June 6. Caldwell-Hardy recently caught up with Michigan State Spartans On SI to preview his upcoming official visit with MSU.
"I’m looking forward to being on campus," the Florida high school safety said. "I'm ready to see athletic facilities."
This visit will allow the talented recruit to get his first look at the school, both athletically and in school, as he is hopeful to build a career on and off the football field. He explains how that makes this visit important.
"This visit is very important because it can play a big part in my future as far as my education and athletic career!" he said.
The Spartans will be tasked with battling an in-state school for the safety as he is expected to take an official visit to the Florida Atlantic Owls program.
@MSU_Football 👀👀👀 #GoGreen 🟢⚪️@MSUFBRecruiting @impactlionsfb @JerrandN @rivals @247sports @One11Recruiting @On3Recruits @PrepRedzoneFL @itgnext_florida @maxpreps @DomoAthletics @ChadSimmons_ @SWiltfong_ @JohnGarcia_Jr @Andrew_Ivins @JustinBarneyTV pic.twitter.com/9HelKeNpfj
— Eliyjah “TurnUp” 3⭐️ Caldwell-Hardy (@turn_up14) April 24, 2025
"I have Florida Atlantic University scheduled for an official visit. My dates for that are June 13th-15th," he said. "I think a determining factor of OVs for me would be the fact of feeling at home. The fact that I’ve never been away. Somewhere that makes me feel at home is a plus!"
Fans can expect the verbal commitment to come this month as he is making the decision between Michigan State, Florida Atlantic and all of the other schools that have decided to make a push.
The Spartans will look to hit a home run this weekend as they try to fight off the feisty Owls for one of the most underrated Florida prospects in the 2026 recruiting class.
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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.