Where MSU Stands in Recruiting Rankings Following Big Weekend

The official visit season has brought plenty of good news for Michigan State.

The Spartans have landed six new scholarship commitments through the first two weeks of official visit season. Each player's announcement has come in turn.

Linebacker Matthew Brady committed on Wednesday, linebacker Henry Sakalas committed on Thursday, corner Shyne Parham committed on Friday, EDGE Lawrence Kanneh committed on Saturday, wide receiver Zach Forbish committed on Sunday, and tight end Ryan Pankey committed on Monday.

Where Rankings Stand

MSU — Sep 7, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; A detailed view of Michigan State Spartans helmet on the field before the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Getting six commitments in as many days (as well as a PWO commitment from Brendan Fitzgerald, son of Pat Fitzgerald) will lead to a boost in the rankings. This recent accumulation of recruits has moved the Spartans up to 40th on the 247Sports 2027 class rankings. That mark puts MSU 13th among Big Ten teams.

It is a better mark than Michigan State has had in the past. The 2026 class finished 45th in the country. MSU's 2025 recruiting class ranked 57th. Instability at the head coach position certainly hasn't helped the Spartans' case when pitching to recruits, but the line is trending up.

April 18, 2026; East Lansing, Mich.; Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald watches the action going on during MSU's "Spring Showcase" at Spartan Stadium. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Setting a solid foundation will be critical for Fitzgerald. He wants to build up his roster by recruiting and developing high school talent, not by hitting the refresh button in the transfer portal every single winter. The 2027 recruiting class is the first one where Fitzgerald and his staff will be in charge from start to finish.

Michigan State's head coach Pat Fitzgerald calls out to players during spring football practice on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lack of Blue-Chip Recruits

The main critique so far has been the lack of upper-tier prospects that MSU has landed. Defensive lineman Ohimai Ozolua is the only player in the 2027 class so far who is a 4-star prospect on the 247Sports Composite. He's also quite close to the 3-star barrier at 414th overall.

As things are right now, nine of the 13 commitments are ranked inside the top 1,000 prospects in the class. Only Ozolua and in-state offensive tackle Jack Carlson are inside the top 500.

Offensive lineman Jack Carlson of Brighton warms up before a season-opening football game against Dexter on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025 at Brighton. | Bill Khan/Livingston Daily / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It is easy to say "just get better players," but the Spartans' recent lack of success is a legitimate barrier. Players in the 2027 class were in the seventh grade when Kenneth Walker III led Michigan State to an 11-2 season in 2021. They were in first grade when MSU made the College Football Playoff in 2015.

These players that MSU is trying to sell a vision of success to just haven't seen many great Michigan State teams. Eighth grade is virtually history to a high school senior. Every blue-chip recruit is going to have other programs with more recent success knocking on their door. Fitzgerald and Co. will probably need to piece together a successful season before it can start truly selling itself to more high-end prospects.

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

Add us as a preferred source on Google