On Wednesday, Dec. 4, 17 players officially signed to Michigan State football's 2025 class on the first day of college football's Early Signing Period on Wednesday.
Head coach Jonathan Smith's first full class ranks tied for 51st in the nation and 14th in the Big Ten.
Here are some overall takeaways on the class.
Getting RB Jace Clarizio back in the class is a big win
Just over a week ago, the Spartans thought they lost out on a recruit in their own backyard that had been committed to MSU since May when Jace Clarizio (out of East Lansing High School) flipped to Alabama on Nov. 26
Instead, Clarizio surprised many fans and pundits when he used the first day of the signing period to officially sign with Michigan State. With Clarizio back in the fold, this gives head coach Jonathan Smith, assiastant head coach/co-special teams coordinator/running backs coach Keith Bhonapha and the Spartans' backfield a much-needed victory in the class.
Sources tell Spartans Illustrated that Smith, along with Bhonapha, personally recruited Clarizio on Tuesday night to help get the family on board.
In terms of scholarship running backs on the current roster, the Spartans lose sixth-year back Kay'ron Lynch-Adams, the team's leading rusher in 2024. Fellow running back Nate Carter could return, but he has not yet announced a decision about his future. Meanwhile, the Spartans have a pair of young backs in Makhi Frazier and Brandon Tullis who each saw seven carries in 2024 and can develop into contributors in future. Keeping Clarizio in the class, however, gives MSU a dynamic player with breakaway speed that a lot of big-time college football programs were after, and adds to the depth at the running back position.
Clarizio could also make a difference on special teams early on in his career.
Fellow three-star prospect Zion Gist, who committed to Michigan State in November, joins Clarizio as part of the Spartans' 2025 class in the running back room.
Four-star DT Derrick Simmons has great potential
As a 5.8-rated four-star prospect, defensive tackle Derrick Simmons is the highest-rated prospect in the Spartans' class of 2025, and is now the only four-star in the group, following the decommitment of cornerback LaRue Zamorano earlier this week.
Michigan State fans should be excited about the potential the 6-foot-3, 270-pound Simmons offers.
He didn't receive an offer until February when Central Michigan extended him his first Division I offer. But from that point, his recruitment took off as he started to garner immense Power Four interest before committing to the Spartans in June.
Things didn't start off fast in terms of communication with the MSU staff, but when Simmons attended a junior day in East Lansing and did a workout with defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Joe Rossi, everything changed as he started to build a great relationship with the program. He eventually became a priority for Rossi, defensive line coach Legi Suiaunoa and the rest of the MSU staff, and the Spartans were able to get him to buy in.
For a player his size, Simmons has a very god step and a level of quickness that allows him to often beat his man to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. He also plays with tremendous power and physicality, and is only scratching the surface of the type of player he could turn out to be.
As a senior in 2024, Simmons helped lead Frankenmuth High School to a 14-1 record and a state championship appearance (with that lone loss coming to Notre Dame Prep in the state tile game).
Simmons also had offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, Vanderbilt and others.
ATH Bryson Williams doesn't sign...where do things stand with him?
Bryson Williams was the only Michigan State 2025 commit coming into the day who didn't put pen to paper on the first day of the Early Signing Period. Spartans Illustrated reported on Tuesday that while Williams remains committed to the Spartans as of now, his plan is to wait until February to sign with MSU.
That doesn't necessarily mean Williams won't be part of Michigan State's 2025 class, as he is still pledged to the Spartans, but it is an interesting development and allows more time for other programs to get involved with him. While it is unlikely that he signs this week, it is important to keep in mind that the Early Signing Period does extend into Friday if Williams has a change of heart, but the current expectation is that he will wait until Feb. 5 to sign.
The three-star athlete from Orchard Lake St. Mary's just helped lead his high school to a Division 2 state title, and he is one of the best players in the state, as he was a Mr. Football finalist in Michigan for his play in 2024.
Two of Williams' teammates at Orchard Lake St. Mary's — three-star tight end Jayden Savoury and three-star linebacker Charles White — signed with the Spartans on Wednesday. Additionally, Michigan State is also pursuing OLSM offensive lineman Antonio Johnson, who also plans to sign to a college program in February.
If the Spartans are able to hang on to Williams, that would be a big win. He is a versatile player who can line up as a wide receiver, in the backfield or on special teams. He also plays defensive back at the high school level.
During his recruiting process, Williams also took official visits to Kansas, Harvard, Pittsburgh and Rice.
CB Terrence Edwards was the program's most important flip
Terrance "Deuce" Edwards is a high-three-star cornerback from Richmond, Virginia who the Spartans were able to flip from West Virginia late in the cycle after he took an official visit to East Lansing.
This was an important win for MSU due to the type of player Edwards is and what he can provide to future Spartan defenses.
"It was a feeling," Edwards told Rivals when asked why he decided to flip his commitment to Michigan State. "My dad told me to pray on it, and it felt like it was the place for me. Once I visited and met with the coaches and players, I knew it was the place for me."
When looking at his film, it's easy to see why he drew so much attention from Power Four schools, gathering offers from Clemson, Michigan, Ole Miss, Miami (FL.) and many others.
Edwards is a physical cornerback who is not afraid to come into the box on run support, and possesses excellent closing speed to make plays on the ball in the passing game.
In high school on offense as a receiver, he shows plenty of elusiveness in the open field and puts his athleticism on full display.
Interestingly, a big part of Edwards' recruitment to Michigan State was cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin. However, earlier this week, Spartans Illustrated confirmed that Martin is planning to take an assistant coaching job with UCLA. Despite Martin's impending departure, the Spartans were still able to sign Edwards.
Spartans hold onto key commitment from CB Aydan West
Perhaps a momentum builder into the 2026 recruiting cycle, the Spartans were able to hold onto a commitment from three-star cornerback Aydan West on Wednesday.
Michigan State signed the three-star prospect out of Quince Orchard High School in North Potomac, Maryland despite Ohio State, Virginia Tech and UCLA all pursuing late and trying to flip him.
West originally committed to the Spartans in June following an official visit. After being firmly committed for several months, he took official visits last month to Virginia Tech and Ohio State. At one point, a possible flip to the Hokies seemed to gain momentum, but then the Buckeyes got involved and it certainly looked possible he could end up in Columbus.
UCLA, one of the last programs to enter the race for West, offered the cornerback in late November. While he did tell Rivals that he was considering the Bruins, it didn't seem like Los Angeles was the most likely destination for West. However, the Bruins' aforementioned expected hiring of Martin, who played a big role in West's recruitment to Michigan State, made things more intriguing.
Ultimately, though, a visit back to Michigan State on Nov. 30, and conversations with Smith and Rossi this week, among other factors, helped the Spartans earn West's signature.
Keeping West in the class is huge for the Spartans as he has some of the highest upside of any prospect in their 2025 recruiting class. But to keep him in the class by beating out a pair of other Big Ten programs in Ohio State and UCLA, while fending off a respectable program closer to home in Virginia Tech, is a great sign for Smith and his program as the Spartans closed the Early Signing Period in strong fashion.
Speaking at his early signing day press conference on Wednesday, Smith had plenty of praise for West, and sees him as somebody who has an opportunity to be an early contributor.
“Aydan West I think has an opportunity to impact the thing pretty early on in his career," Smith said.
