REPORT: MSU Football Notches More Crystal Balls For Two 2026 Targets

In November, Michigan State logged what were its first crystal balls for 2026 prospects. In-state quarterback Kayd Coffman and offensive lineman Eli Bickel, of East Kentwood and North Branch, respectively, were projected to choose the Green and White by 247Sports.
Now, SpartanMag's Jason Killop is projecting them for the Spartans as well.
Coffman, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound three-star passer, has a good relationship with Offensive Coordinator Brian Lindgren and a developing one with Quarterbacks Coach Jon Boyer.
"Not super energetic, more of that cool energy," Coffman said of Lindgren when I spoke to him in November. "I really like that too, the calmness. He's a dude, he's a guy. He's not being fake or forcing it. It's who he is, how he talks. How he interacts with me and my family, he's not trying to put on a different persona."
Coffman was able to connect with his new quarterbacks coach, whom he told SpartanMag he was fond of. The quarterback particularly liked Boyer's coaching philosophy and style of interaction.
The East Kentwood product has also made it clear the Spartans are a favorite of his. He told SpartanMag, soon after the offer, "It was a really cool experience to have that in-state school that you grow up watching offer. That was a surreal moment for my family and I. It is just that feeling, like ‘finally’. It’s finally here. We have always known this would happen, it was just a matter of when. I was able to be in the room with my mom when it happened. Seeing her reaction, she was crying, I was crying, it was just a really fun experience.”
What is most intriguing about Coffman's crystal ball (or Recruiting Prediction Machine pick, as On3 calls it) is that he just recently had a visit to Iowa State, a school seen as perhaps the biggest contender outside of the Spartans.
"I would see them as a serious option because of the stability of the staff as well as the production of the quarterback position," Coffman told 247Sports' Allen Trieu.
Coffman recently snagged an offer from SEC power Ole Miss, whose offensive guru head coach, Lane Kiffin, is a big-time quarterback recruiter. That could spice things up as the cycle continues.
Bickel, a 6-foot-6, 270-pound offensive tackle, has had a strong bond with Offensive Line Coach Jim Michalczik since the fall. He has also been a frequent guest in East Lansing. Bickel might be more of a sure thing than his signal-calling counterpart at this point.
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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