Spartans Offer Talented 2027 Linebacker
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Although the chaos of the 2026 college football transfer portal window and the January recruiting contact period are behind Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald and his staff, the Spartans have remained active on the high school recruiting trail.
Since the start of February, Michigan State has continued targeting several prospects in the 2027 recruiting class, and on Saturday, the Spartans extended an offer to a talented linebacker prospect from Iowa.
Michigan State Extends Offer to 2027 Linebacker
On Feb. 14, Michigan State extended an offer to Kason Clayborne, a 2027 linebacker prospect from Sioux City East High School in Sioux City, Iowa. He shared on X that the offer came after a conversation with linebackers coach Max Bullough.
After a great conversation with @Bullough40 I’m excited to receive an offer from Michigan State! @MSU_Football @LeVarWoods pic.twitter.com/5AaTqlHFSJ
— Kason Clayborne (@KasonClayborne) February 15, 2026
- “After a great conversation with [Max Bullough] I’m excited to receive an offer from Michigan State!” Clayborne wrote.
Michigan State has been interested in Clayborne for several weeks, and last month, special teams coordinator LeVar Woods visited Sioux City East to meet with the young linebacker. The Spartans are the 11th Division I program to offer him, joining Arizona, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Minnesota, Purdue, Dartmouth, Sacramento State, North Dakota State, and South Dakota State.
Although the 6’3”, 215-pound linebacker doesn’t have a star rating from 247Sports or Rivals, he’s still a talented prospect capable of playing at the Power Four level and will likely become a three-star prospect before the end of the 2027 cycle.
Clayborne is a versatile athlete who plays linebacker and tight end for Sioux City East. He’s coming off a strong junior season, where, according to his X, he recorded 51 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and one pick-six on defense, while totaling 27 catches for 302 yards and six touchdowns on offense.
The Spartans’ offer comes relatively early in Clayborne’s process, and the timing should allow Fitzgerald and his staff to begin building a relationship with the Sioux City East star before other programs become heavily involved in his recruitment.
While no program has established itself as the clear frontrunner in Clayborne’s recruitment, Michigan State will undoubtedly face competition from several schools for the talented linebacker as his recruitment continues to gain traction.
Still, if Fitzgerald and company can make a strong early impression on him, continue to strengthen their relationship with him over the coming months, and get him to East Lansing for a visit this spring, the Spartans should be well-positioned to compete for Clayborne’s commitment.
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Max Dorsey serves as the Western United States College Recruiting Beat Writer On SI. He graduated from the prestigious Syracuse University – S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Before that, he worked for the Pro Football Network and was part of the recruiting department for Syracuse University's football program.