EXCLUSIVE: Elite Colorado OL Talks MSU Offer
It might be hard to find a better high school football player than 2026 offensive lineman Deacon Schmitt in the state of Colorado. Schmitt, a high three-star who is ranked as the No. 2 player in the state's 2026 class, is also the No. 35-ranked interior offensive lineman in the class nationwide.
Schmitt was recently offered by Michigan State offensive line coach Jim Michalczik.
During an early morning workout at Six Zero Academy (Schmitt works out at 5 a.m. during school-year weekdays), operated by former NFL offensive lineman Matt McChesney, Michalczik swung by to take a look at the prospect and introduce himself to the Parker, Colorado native.
"He watched me work out for about an hour, hour and 15, and then we went into Matt's office and sat down, got a chance to introduce ourselves," Schmitt said. "We kind of just talked about family, where we came from and all that kind of thing. That's kind of where it all started, and then, just two days ago, Coach M called me, and he gave me the 'O,' so I'm pretty fired up about it."
Things happen fast on the recruiting trail. All Schmitt knew that morning was that Michigan State was going to be in the house; he did not know who specifically would show up.
The reception was positive, though, as Schmitt referred to Michalczik as "a great dude, great coach," and a "cool guy."
"You can just tell he's a football dude," Schmitt said. "He loves ball and so do I, so right off the bat, we have that in common. He seems like a dude that would be a good coach and someone that knows what he's doing."
Michalczik has a strong NFL pipeline, which boasts a first-round pick like Taliese Fuaga of the New Orleans Saints. He also spent time in the NFL as an offensive line coach with the then-Oakland Raiders. That pedigree is not lost on Schmitt.
"I mean, the ultimate goal for me is to go to the NFL," he said. " And when you have a coach that has seen what it takes and has seen guys that are in that position, I think that's a very good advantage, I think, just him having that background."
Schmitt holds 23 offers from top-tier programs such as Georgia, Alabama, and others.
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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