Whitewater High School (Fayetteville, Georgia) cornerback Kelsey Deriso is the latest class of 2026 prospect to commit to the Michigan State Spartans. The 6-foot-1 cornerback announced his decision to join the Spartans on Friday afternoon.
The decision from Deriso comes a week after arriving to East Lansing for an official visit (May 30 through June 1). He chose the Spartans primarily over UCF, Kentucky and Louisville, but held over a dozen other offers in his recruitment.
He is the seventh commitment of the Spartans' 2026 recruiting class and their third this month, joining safety Bradyen Thomas and linebacker Braylon Hodge.
"The hospitality of everybody on the staff showing love to not only me but my family members as well (stood out)," Deriso told Spartans Illustrated earlier this week following his trip to East Lansing. "They really make it feel like one big family."
During his recruitment, Deriso was primarily recruited by secondary coach Blue Adams but developed strong relationships with Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith, defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Joe Rossi, and assistant defensive backs coach Chris Gordon along the way.
"My relationships with all of them are good," Deriso said about the Michigan State coaching staff. "I got the chance to speak with Coach Smith one-on-one, and that really helped me see the bigger picture of what they’re doing with the program going into year two."
The 6-foot-1, 160-pound Deriso was a first-team All-Region selection as a junior at Whitewater. While he does a little bit of everything for his high school program, he'll be a cornerback for the Spartans at the next level.
"They are recruiting me as a cornerback," Deriso told Spartans Illustrated. "I’d describe my game as a X-factor who can turn a routine play into a game-changing play. As a corner, I play very aggressive and with a lot of passion."
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