Jonathan Smith, MSU Football Target OL Darius Afalava Announces Top 4 Teams

Three-star Utah offensive lineman Darius Afalava visited the Michigan State Spartans in early June and has been vocal about his interest. On Wednesday, Afalava announced his top teams...

Sep 4, 2015; Kalamazoo, MI, USA; General view of Michigan State Spartans helmet on field prior to a game against Western Michigan at Waldo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports | Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

The Michigan State Spartans, along with keeping to head coach Jonathan Smith's goal of targeting the Midwest, have attempted to maintain Smith's West Coast pipeline.

The Spartans' first 2025 commit was California three-star quarterback Leo Hannan, and their latest commit was three-star offensive lineman Drew Nichols, also from California. Now, the Spartans are one step closer to snagging not just their eighth commit, but their third from out west.

On Wednesday, three-star offensive line target Darius Afalava, out of Lehi, Utah, announced his top four teams: Michigan State, Oklahoma, Utah, and Washington.

Where’s 🏠⁉️ pic.twitter.com/2WjBNPNnvA

— Darius Afalava (@DariusAfalava) June 12, 2024

I've spoken with Afalava twice, a few weeks before his official visit and the day he returned home from East Lansing. Both times he was adamant about his interest in the Spartans.

Offensive line coach Jim Michalczik, who has been nothing less than a hit with the various offensive line targets I've spoken with, was a big reason Afalava liked the Spartans. Michalczik was the first coach to offer Afalava, back when he was at Oregon State. Afalava respected the fact that the connection between the two never wavered, even when Michalczik went east with Smith.

Afalava said his relationship with the "whole staff" was strong, too. Afalava told me that "only thing" that was "left to know" was the city of East Lansing itself, and how he felt about it.

That was before his visit. When I called him after he had gotten home from his visit, he told me the city earned high marks.

"East Lansing really just is Corvallis on steroids, I feel like," Afalava had said. "It was really enjoyable."

Now, the Spartans sit in Afalava's final four. This reporter does not make predictions about a recruit's potential choice. Crystal balls are for the recruiting databases that specialize in that realm. As a journalist, I stick to the facts. The facts, however, lead me to believe that Michigan State has as good a chance as any school on the list. One-in-four.

Afalava plans on making his commitment June 28.

The 6-foot-5, 320-pound prospect is the 26th-ranked interior offensive lineman in the 2025 class, per 247Sports, and he is the fourth-ranked player in Utah.

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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