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. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Spartans Take Surprising Hit on Recruiting Trail

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Apr 23, 2025 1:00 PM ET

Michigan State football has been working desperately to build a foundation on the recruiting trail under the Jonathan Smith regime, but it still isn't where it needs to be to contend with other juggernauts in the Big Ten.

On Tuesday, the program suffered another hit as far as recruiting goes.

Class of 2026 offensive lineman Kelvin Obot, a four-star prospect out of Idaho and one of the top offensive tackles in his class, narrowed his list down to five schools, and Michigan State was not included.

It came as a bit of a surprise, as Obot had recently been in East Lansing for an official visit, and 247Sports had previously listed his interest in the program as "warm."

Per multiple reports, those that made Obot's finalists were Michigan, Oregon, Nebraska, USC and Utah.

Obot is ranked the No. 9 offensive tackle in his class, the No. 1 class of 2026 prospect in Idaho and the No. 135 overall recruit in his class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Obot plays on both sides of the line of scrimmage. He also competes in track and field and placed third in shot put in the Idaho 3A State Championships last year.

This is the second time this month that Michigan State lost out on a highly touted offensive lineman from the class of 2026, as Spartan legacy Gregory Patrick committed to Notre Dame. Michigan State was one of his final four destinations.

Patrick is ranked the No. 2 class of 2026 recruit in the state of Michigan, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.

While the Spartans need to establish prominence on the recruiting front in general, they have been particularly behind when it comes to the offensive line.

They had much success in the transfer portal this past winter, but as far as recruiting from the high school ranks, Michigan State signed three offensive linemen from the class of 2025 and has landed just one offensive line commitment from the class of 2026 so far. All of them are merely three-stars.

Once again, the Spartans came close, but no cigar. Generally speaking, they need to get over that hump of coming up just short of landing recruits, and that will likely come down to winning.

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This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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