Michigan State Football Adds Key Off-Field Role
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Michigan State football is bringing in somebody who will play an important part in the team's quest to identify top talent.
The Spartans are hiring AJ Pearson to be the team's new assistant director of player personnel, according to multiple reports. That fact is also reflected in Pearson's bio on Twitter/X.
Pearson was previously the head director of player personnel at Toledo, where he worked with new MSU general manager Bryan Gasser during the 2025 season. Before that, Pearson was actually a recruiting assistant at his new rival, Michigan, where he also played safety at from 2014-16.
This fills in another important role for Michigan State's off-field and recruiting staff, which is more important than ever due to the fact that those "diamonds in the rough" are tougher to find nowadays due to the internet making player film easily accessible. That's especially so for Pat Fitzgerald, who has explicitly stated that he wants to build his roster through high school recruiting, and his vision for his program.
More on Pearson, MSU's Staff
Just because Pearson played for Michigan back in the day doesn't mean he has some direct ties to the Spartans. He got his bachelor's degree in movement science and a master's in kinesiology from UM, but he also got a master's degree in basic medical science from MSU back in 2019.
Now, he'll get to come back to that school and join the Spartans' growing support staff. The off-field operation is led by chief of staff Jacob Schmidt, who used to play for Fitzgerald and now helps managed the Michigan State head coach's schedule. Schmidt is on a two-year contract that will pay him $875,000 total, according to information obtained via a public records request.
The main person who Pearson will likely report to is Gasser, though, who is on a two-year, $570,000 deal. Pearson will also probably work closely with MSU director of player personnel Sean Levy, along with executive director of player personnel Antwon Murray.
Michigan State's addition of Pearson stays consistent to Fitzgerald's vision of a truly Midwestern program. Nearly every new name inside the football building is somebody who has Midwestern roots or has tangible experience coaching in the area. That's now seeping down into the team's more minor roles, given Pearson's time as a player and staffer at Michigan and then at Toledo. The key is whether it will translate to wins during the chaotic era of NIL and the transfer portal.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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