Concern Level for Lack of Blue-Chips in MSU's 2027 Class

The Spartans are yet to get a truly high-level recruit in Pat Fitzgerald's first full recruiting class.

Michigan State's head coach Pat Fitzgerald looks on during spring football practice on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Gauging the mood around Michigan State's 2027 recruiting class has been interesting.

It's basically been 3-star prospect after 3-star prospect. None of the 13 commitments that MSU has landed so far are "blue-chip" prospects, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings. Top commit Ohimai Ozolua is pretty close to 4-star status there at 432nd overall, though he is still a 3-star prospect individually at Rivals.

April 18, 2026; East Lansing, Mich.; Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald watches the action going on during MSU's "Spring Showcase" at Spartan Stadium. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

The Spartans' class is ranked 44th nationally on 247Sports and 15th in the Big Ten. Over at On3, the ranking is down to 53rd in the country and 16th in the conference.

Recruiting rankings are not the end-all, be-all, but history shows that they do matter in the long run. The lack of a true 4-star recruit to show from Michigan State's recruiting efforts is a real concern.

What It Means

Sep 7, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; A detailed view of Michigan State Spartans helmet on the field before the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

It hasn't really been for lack of trying. MSU has pursued several notable 4-star recruits, but so far, all have chosen other schools. In-state top-100 recruit Gideon Gash picked Texas Tech. In-state 4-star EDGE Myles Smith picked Indiana. So did 4-star defensive lineman Reinaldo Perez.

Michigan State just seems to be finishing second or third for a lot of its best targets. It's progress and shows some mutual interest, but you don't get a silver medal for finishing second in an athlete's recruitment. You just move down the list to the next name.

Michigan State Spartans head football coach Pat Fitzgerald points while introducing himself to the crowd at a men's basketball game against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. Fitzgerald was officially hired by MSU on Monday. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Getting at least a few 4-star recruits is the bare minimum, really. The 2026 recruiting class is bringing in five 247Sports Composite 4-star recruits. The 2025 class had only one, and that was considered a poor overall effort.

There can only be so many "sleeper" and "under-the-radar" prospects one can take every cycle. Indiana has proven that winning can happen without a ton of 5- or 4-stars, but Curt Cignetti is pretty much an anomaly who probably won't be replicated any time soon.

Potential 4-Star Gets

Detroit Country Day's Anthony Cartwright catches a pass during a football game on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at Joseph P. Healey Field. | Brandon Folsom/Hometown Life / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What doesn't help is that the list of remaining 4-star targets is already growing thin. The top name left is in-state tight end Anthony Cartwright III. Michigan State still seems to be in the picture for him, but calling the Spartans a favorite would be a big stretch (again, there's no reward for finishing second or third).

Blue-chip offensive tackle Caleb Johnson also visited East Lansing a few weeks ago. MSU is listed third on the Rivals' RPM metric, though, behind Indiana and Iowa. Miss on Cartwright and Johnson, and there is a realistic chance that Michigan State doesn't get a true 4-star all cycle, unless one current or future commit gets a bump in the rankings.

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