MSU Football Gets Prediction To Land Chicago-Area DL

The Spartans have the inside track to land a big recruit they're targeting.

Michigan State's new football coach Pat Fitzgerald pats his heart at the crowd in attendance for the Spartans basketball game against Iowa on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan State football is getting close to adding another commitment to its 2027 class.

On Saturday morning, the Spartans received a pair of predictions to land three-star St. Rita (Ill.) defensive lineman Ohimai Ozolua from On3/Rivals' Allen Trieu and Jason Killop. If those predictions become correct, Ozolua would become MSU's top-ranked commitment in the early stages of its next class. He's currently ranked 417th overall, 48th among defensive linemen, and 15th among prospects from Illinois on the 247Sports Composite.

Michigan State mascot Sparty carries a flag during the Spartans' game against UCLA on Oct. 11, 2025. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Ozolua has been on the staff's radar from the beginning. He picked up his offer from Michigan State back on Jan. 16. According to Rivals, he's taken two unofficial visits to MSU on Jan. 24 and March 24. Ozolua also has an official visit to East Lansing scheduled for May 29-31.

The offer list for Ozolua is pretty impressive. Some of the other teams that have reached out include Ohio State, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Miami (FL), Vanderbilt, Penn State, Wisconsin, and Tennessee. Despite that, MSU has been considered the leader most of the way here.

What Ozolua's Commitment Could Mean

Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere III against the Jacksonville Jaguars at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Firstly, it would be a pretty good get for new defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere III, as well as his first high school recruit he's landed at MSU.

DeLattiboudere, one of defensive coordinator Joe Rossi's former players from his time at Minnesota, was one of the more interesting gets for the new coaching staff this offseason. DeLattiboudere was previously also the DL coach for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals, but he accepted the same position at Michigan State on Dec. 15, before the NFL season had officially ended.

The price tag for DeLattiboudere was also high. Excluding linebackers coach Max Bullough, who serves as a co-defensive coordinator, DeLattiboudere will be the highest-paid position coach on the staff, making $700,000.

Michigan State Spartans head coach Pat Fitzgerald addresses fans during a men's basketball game against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, at the Breslin Center. Fitzgerald had been formally introduced earlier that day. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

The Chicago Pipeline

Ozolua would also be the first Chicago-area recruit Pat Fitzgerald's staff has landed in the 2027 class. This is, simply put, the area where Fitzgerald has to thrive on the recruiting trail to have success with the Spartans.

He already has established connections with coaches in the area from his time at Northwestern, and it's close enough to East Lansing (about a 3.5-hour drive) that Michigan State can be considered relatively close to "home." There are plenty of other recruits from around Chicago that MSU is pursuing, including 2028 five-star Kameron McGee, but landing Ozolua would be one of the first tangible signs of progress in a pipeline being established.

Dec 2, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State head football coach Pat Fitzgerald watches the Spartans defeat the Iowa Hawkeyes at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images | Dale Young-Imagn Images