What Stood Out to Elite Michigan State Football 4-Star Target on Thursday Visit
Four-star offensive lineman Gregory Patrick was in East Lansing for an unofficial visit with the Michigan State Spartans on Thursday. Patrick is the second-ranked player in the 2026 class for the state of Michigan and the 13th-ranked offensive tackle, per 247Sports' composite rankings. Nationally, Patrick is the No. 155 player in the class.
Patrick first came to know offensive line coach Jim Michalczik soon after his hiring at Michigan State. Michalczik came around Patrick's high school, Portage Northern, and talked to head coach Kurt Twichell. Outside of brief courtesies, Patrick and Michalczik did not interact due to NCAA rules.
Patrick said it was Twichell who worked to arrange the unofficial visit.
"I watched [the team] do [organized team activities] and kind of hung out and talked to them for a while," Patrick told me. "I talked to some of the players, I'd say I've developed a pretty good relationship with a lot of the players, I'd say Cooper Terpstra, I actually played against him, he's a walk-on at Michigan State. I played against him when he was at West Ottawa. So we kind of talked a little bit. [Andrew] Dennis, those kind of guys I know pretty well."
Patrick said what stood out to him watching the practice was the intensity and the attention to detail that Michalczik's offensive line is disciplined to uphold.
"Each player is like, holding each other accountable, you know, they're each coaching each other up," Patrick said. "It's not just Coach M. So that's like, one thing that stood out to me. Another thing that stood out to me was just like, how a family, friendly environment it is that Coach M has developed in the offensive line's culture, especially how tight all those guys are."
Michalczik was described by Patrick as a "super genuine guy" and someone who was a good relationship-builder.
"He also talks about life in general, not just about football. So, I'd say he's just overall a really good guy."
Patrick was one of many offensive lineman recruits to attest to Michalczik's disposition and character. This visit was far from Patrick's first visit to Michigan State. He said he "probably lost count by now."
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.
Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
