Michigan State targets elite in-state EDGE Myles Smith. The explosive defensive lineman's official visit could ignite the Spartans' recruiting momentum.
Pat Fitzgerald and company have been hard at work getting the future of the Spartans prepped and ready for action. The Spartans have been all over the scene, especially inside their own state.
The football players that come from the state of Michigan are some of the best around. This state produces top-tier football talent, and recruiting inside the state has been a huge point of emphasis for Pat Fitzgerald since coming over to Michigan State.
Recruiting in general has been a point of emphasis for new head coach Pat Fitzgerald.
“I believe as I sit here today that we have one senior that was recruited here. I think the rest were transfers,” Fitzgerald said. “That’s no way to build a championship culture, no way to build a championship program. We are going to be fanatical in building our relationships with our players…if you start that in high school recruiting when a young man is 15 or 16, you’re going to be able to build that culture and have that rock set and that solid foundation of your team.”
The Spartans are continuing their process and just announced that Farmington, MI native Myles Smith will have an official visit with the Spartans on May 29th of this year.
Smith is a massive 6'5", 215-pound defensive lineman who flies off the edge or in between the tackles with force and uncharacteristic speed for such a big man. Nimble on his feet, proven by ridiculous pass breakups that look like Smith is floating through the air—but there’s no magic carpet, just his insane jumping skills.
He comes at the quarterback in a flurry like a hyena attacking its prey. And he’s stronger than one can imagine, pulling rushers down with one hand.
Per 247Sports, Smith is graded as a 3-star athlete who’s on the precipice of a four-star. Grading as an 89—which according to 247Sports “should be valued as much as a four-star 90, and opinions are likely split as to whether or not that prospect should have a fourth star. Anyone holding a grade of an 89 when the rankings go final at the end of the cycle is a prospect that we feel strongly about. These are prospects with redeeming qualities that we think can get drafted or work their way into an NFL camp. They project as multi-year starters and impact players at the Power Four level.”
Smith ranks 25th among edge rushers in the nation and sixth-best player in Michigan in the 2027 class. Smith also has a composite score of 0.9253, which ranks him 205th nationally, 21st-best edge, and fourth-best Michigan player.
The Spartans aren’t the only team Smith will be visiting, as he has also set up a visit already with Kentucky on June 12th.
The Spartans were already able to bring in a home-run, in-state recruit with Samson Gash committing to Fitzgerald and the Spartans. Many hope this is paving the way for more of the state’s elite talent to follow suit.
Fitzgerald knows how important it is to build a culture with a strong foundation and not an ever-changing team. It will take countless hours of effort by the coaching staff, but it feels like the step forward is happening faster than anyone had hoped. And if Fitzgerald can land top player Myles Smith, then the Spartans might be running before they even can walk.