MSU Gaining Control in Recruitment of In-State DB
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Michigan State is surging ahead of the competition for one prospect from the state of Michigan.
Over the past handful of days, the Spartans have received multiple predictions to land three-star Dakota (Mich.) safety Elijah Goins. Greg Smith, Kenny Jordan, and Jason Killop of Rivals/On3 have all submitted predictions, sometimes referred to as "crystal balls" when it's 247Sports doing it, to land Goins this week.
Goins is currently ranked 763rd overall on the Rivals Industry Ranking and 14th among prospects from Michigan in the class of 2027. He has a pretty impressive offer list already, having received opportunities from Pitt, Tennesee, USC, Wisconsin, Illinois, Maryland, Purdue, and Illinois.
Rivals doesn't seem to think any of those schools are particularly close at the moment. It's RPM (Recruiting Prediction Machine) lists MSU with a 99.0% shot right now. Every other school listed on Goins' profile says "<1%."
More Info on Goins, Potential Fit at MSU
Michigan State fans should be pleased with the emphasis there has been placed upon in-state and Midwestern recruiting so far. The Spartans have already landed 2027 commitments from Grand Rapids native and interior offensive lineman Grant Adloff, and they've also gotten Ohio native and running back Savior Owens.
Going down the list of top players from Michigan, MSU is making attempts at all of them. Going off the Rivals' RPM and the site's Industry Rankings, the Spartans are in first for the No. 3 recruit, EDGE Myles Smith; in first for the No. 5 recruit, safety Gideon Gash; in second for the No. 6 recruit, TE Anthony Cartwright III; in first for the No. 7 recruit, OT Dewey Young, and in first for the No. 10 recruit, WR Chad Willis.
Landing Goins would be another step in establishing that Michigan State is a good option for top athletes from the state again. Widely accessible air travel and social media has made the world seem smaller, making it easier for other programs to grab recruits from other parts of the country, but that home-field advantage can still matter a lot.
Safety will be a need for MSU this cycle. Nikai Martinez is on his last year of eligibility, as is Aveon Grose and Louisiana Tech transfer Michael Richard. If the Spartans can land both Goins and the four-star Gash, that would be a huge success. Safeties coach James Adams was retained by head coach Pat Fitzgerald and defensive coordinator Joe Rossi for a reason. That would show it.
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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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