4-Star DE Includes Michigan State on His Top 10 List

Days after securing a prized transfer over football juggernaut Alabama, Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith and the Spartans have a chance to secure another prized commit, this time over multiple notable football programs.

One of the top recruits in the country recently listed the Top 10 schools he’s interested in playing for, and Michigan State was one of them. Four-star defensive lineman Cortez Harris, a native of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, listed the Spartans among notable schools like Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee, Florida, Texas A&M, Syracuse and Virginia Tech. Harris announced the decision on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Harris would immediately improve a potentially desperate roster situation brewing in East Lansing. According to 247Sports, Harris is the 14th-best edge rusher and the 118th-best overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class. The site also ranked him as the third-best overall player from Maryland.

Michigan State already needed an infusion of talent on its roster upon Coach Smith’s arrival to East Lansing. Considering the number of players who have entered the transfer portal, the Spartans need even more talent now. 

Coach Smith and his coaching staff were already hinging a large portion of their recruiting success on their ability to secure commitments from as many three- and four-star athletes as realistically possible and supplementing the roster with low to mid-ranked players after that. Then, the Spartans lost many players to the portal, forcing Michigan State to convert at a higher rate on the recruiting trail.

The Spartans recently competed head-to-head with Alabama for talented Arizona State defensive back Ed Woods and beat out the Tide for his commitment. That should give Coach Smith and the Spartans hope in recruiting battles moving forward. 

The four-star defensive end has visits with Maryland and Penn State next week. The Spartans will likely receive the most competition from the Terrapins, as Maryland would allow him to play close to home. Michigan State, however, could offer him a more quality experience on the football field and give him the best chance of making it to the next level. 

It will be critical for Coach Smith to find a way to secure as many interested and talented players as possible. College football is an arms race, and Michigan State is currently falling behind.

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