Elite Spartans Target Provides Valuable Key to Recruiting

The Michigan State Spartans are quickly investing more in the 2026 recruiting class. They increased their 2026 offers tenfold this fall and it’s clear that the focus has almost entirely shifted from 2025 to 2026.

The Spartans now have 15 recruits in the class of 2025, with the turnaround commitment of Emmett Bork, who is committed to Big Ten rival Wisconsin. The class of 2026 has been a mixed bag in terms of what the Spartans focus on, but one unit has received a lot of attention: the secondary.

Cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin and safeties coach Blue Adams are aggressive this time. The Spartans have offered a fair amount of blue-chip, four-star safeties and nickels. They apparently opt for a different approach for the cornerback position: underrated gems from the South.

States like Georgia, for example, are hotbeds for talent that is overlooked due to a lack of stars or even fame. In such football meccas that compete at a high level, talented candidates can easily slip through the cracks.

The Spartans’ offer of Jalen Williams ensures that this will not be the case. Williams is a 6-foot-1, 160-pound cornerback from Marietta, Georgia. He has 24 offers, including notable programs like Auburn, Kentucky, Missouri, Ole Miss and Tennessee.

I spoke with Williams, who said he was offered by both Martin and Adams. The relationship between the prospect and the program is apparently still very young and will take time to build. But Williams gave me some key insights into what he wants to see from a program during an official visit this spring.

Perhaps most notable was the family aspect, and I’m not talking about the atmosphere surrounding the program (something the Spartans did well). He told me he wants his family to be treated well and taken into account by a program competing for his talents.

“If they’re just talking to me and not to my family, my family doesn’t know what’s going on,” Williams said. “I have a very good relationship with my father (Ronel). My father is like my best friend. … I take that seriously, they have to treat (my family) as well as they treat me if they want me that much .”

Michael France is Sports Illustrated’s recruiting beat writer at Michigan State and covers all things Big Ten recruiting for Spartan Nation. Be sure to follow him on Twitter/X@michaelfrancesi for exclusive Spartans recruiting coverage.

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