Priority In-State MSU Target Kish Commits to ACC Program

One of the best players in the Spartans' backyard is now committed elsewhere.

Late Sunday night, four-star Howell (Mich.) linebacker Bryce Kish announced that he was committing to Clemson. Kish is rated as a four-star recruit by both 247Sports and Rivals and lands at 92nd overall and second in the state of Michigan on 247Sports' composite ranking.

COMMITTED CLEMSON IS HOME!
I AM ALL IN 💯
PRAISE GOD🙏
#AGTG pic.twitter.com/xI043p4CWA
— Bryce Kish⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@brycekish6) March 9, 2026

Kish, whom Michigan State seemed to be recruiting, has been a big-time riser in the last handful of weeks, with the Spartans trying to get an inside track on his recruitment before it really blew up after he officially received four-star status. Clemson got Kish on campus this past weekend, offered him, and clearly did enough that the Tigers got his commitment pretty quickly.

This one can definitely sting a bit for Michigan State, which is trying to establish itself again as a premier destination for top in-state talent under new head coach Pat Fitzgerald. Letting a top-100 recruit whose high school is about half an hour away from campus pick a program outside the region (even one of the prestige of Clemson) is sort of what MSU wants to prevent a little bit. Alas, you can't get every recruit you target.

Outlook for MSU's 2027 Class

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

If you're an optimist, Kish's recruitment can still be a long way from being over. Kish is a good enough player that this probably won't stop Michigan State from pressing on a little bit. Verbal commitments with about nine months or so out from the early signing period don't exactly mean it's a totally done deal.

After all, Kish announced on Twitter/X on Feb. 21 that he had scheduled an official visit to East Lansing from June 5-7. There were also other official visits set with Purdue, Minnesota, and Michigan. We'll have to wait and see if his commitment here changes his plans at all.

Greg Williams, left, shakes hands with Michigan State's new football coach Pat Fitzgerald during the coach's introductory press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, at the Tom Izzo Football Building in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MSU still has two commitments in its 2027 class at the moment. Massillon Washington (Ohio) running back Savior Owens was the first person to join the class when he committed back on Jan. 25. He's currently rated 866th overall in the 2027 class on the Rivals Industry Rankings, as well as 70th among RBs and 33rd among Ohioans.

The other commit is East Grand Rapids (Mich.) interior offensive lineman Grant Adloff. He committed on Jan. 31 and stands at 6-foot-4 and 272 pounds. At the moment, he's at 621st overall in his class on the 247Sports Composite, 36th among fellow interior o-linemen, and 11th among those from Michigan.

Howell's Bryce Kish flexes after his first touchdown of the evening during a victory over Brighton Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. | Timothy Arrick/For the Livingston Daily / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images