Spartans Come Up Short on the Recruiting Trail
Michigan State football continues to lose out with the class of 2026, constantly finishing as a finalist before ultimately falling short.
That was the case once again on Friday as three-star linebacker Jacob Savage announced his commitment to Indiana.
Michigan State had been one of Savage's top seven teams, along with Purdue, Northwestern, Minnesota, Louisville, Georgia Tech and Indiana.
Savage, who plays for Ryle High School in Kentucky, is ranked the No. 9 class of 2026 recruit in Kentucky and the No. 82 linebacker in his class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.
The prospect visited Michigan State for an unofficial on March 29. He is scheduled for an official visit to campus from May 30 to June 1.
Last season, Savage, who also plays running back, recorded 1,085 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns on offense. Defensively, he logged 141 tackles, 17 for loss, three sacks and an interception.
Michigan State desperately needs to start gaining some ground with the class of 2026. The Spartans have only secured four commitments from the class so far, with no commits from the defensive side of the ball.
Just this month, Michigan State lost out on two major recruits in Gregory Patrick and Kelvin Obot, two highly touted offensive linemen from the class of 2026.
The problem might just come down to the program's lack of success. Michigan State hasn't made a bowl game since 2021. Meanwhile, the Big Ten continues to get better, with five of the Spartans' conference foes having made the College Football Playoff last year and two of their rivals, Michigan and Ohio State, having won the last two national championships, two powerhouse recruiting programs in the Midwest.
That's the very region Michigan State is trying to establish the bulk of its recruiting in, and so far under Jonathan Smith, it's been to no avail.
The Spartans have had to rely heavily on the transfer portal since Smith and much of his staff came over, but homegrown talent is always going to be a dependable route.
Should Michigan State show signs of improvement in Year 2 under Smith, slowly but surely, the Spartans could start making stronger impressions on the recruiting trail.
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