Recruit Reactions: Michigan State brings in strong group of visitors for second junior day weekend
MSU hosted several prospects in East Lansing ahead of recruiting dead period.
Over the weekend, Michigan State and head coach Pat Fitzgerald hosted a large group of recruiting targets in East Lansing for the program's second junior day of 2026.
Additionally, the Spartans landed a commitment from priority in-state offensive lineman Grant Adloff on Saturday.
The first batch of visitors arrived on Friday and watched the top-10 men's basketball matchup between MSU and Michigan at the Breslin Center. The Spartans continued to bring in prospects on Saturday and Sunday as well.
With the recruiting calendar now shifting to a dead period for the remainder of the month of February, starting on Feb. 2, Fitzgerald and his staff were able to make lasting impressions on the recruits who came to campus.
Another important event on the recruiting calendar in February is the regular signing period, which opens on Feb. 4. With that in mind, Michigan State hosted four-star wide receiver commit Samson Gash for an official visit over the weekend. Gash has remained committed to the Spartans since June, but did not sign with the program during the early period this past December, amidst the head coaching change from Jonathan Smith to Fitzgerald and increased attention from other schools. MSU will hope to get Gash's signature on Wednesday, with Penn State competing heavily for him.
Gash tells Spartans Illustrated that the official visit to MSU went "very well" and he will announce his final decision on Wednesday morning.
As for the junior day visitors, the electric atmosphere at the Breslin Center, personalized interactions with the coaching staff and Fitzgerald's vision for the future of program were all aspects that stood out to the recruits, among many other factors. Spartans Illustrated spoke with several of the prospects who made it to East Lansing this weekend.
In no particular order, here are the reactions from many of the high school student-athletes who were on Michigan State's campus this past weekend.
2027 four-star TE Anthony Cartwright (Beverly Hills, Michigan/Detroit Michigan):
Cartwright is one of the top recruits in the country, ranking as the No. 264 prospect overall, No. 19 tight end and No. 6 player in the state of Michigan in the 2027 class, according to the Industry rankings from On3/Rivals. He also ranks as the No. 302 player overall, No, 20 tight end and No. 6 prospect in Michigan, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Detroit Country Day star has around 40 scholarship offers in total and will have a lot of options to choose from, but Michigan State is going to do its best to keep him in the state. The Spartans made a strong impression on Friday, as Cartwright loved the environment in the Breslin Center during the basketball game between U-M and MSU.
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