Michigan State Fails to Secure Former LSU Edge Rusher

Michigan State football and Coach Jonathan Smith planned on being active in the transfer portal this offseason.

So far, they are doing their best to stay aggressive in the portal, searching for talent. The Spartans have continued to find talent from other schools and conferences nationwide in an attempt to rebuild their roster.

Coach Smith has focused much of his recruiting efforts on finding low-to-mid and unranked recruits. He plans to develop these recruits while adding quality talent around them via the portal and retaining talented pieces on the team. 

The apparent plan remained as the Spartans recently offered a scholarship to former LSU edge rusher Jaxon Howard. Howard announced the offer on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

Howard only played one season for LSU, recording two tackles in five games with the Tigers. 

In 2023, Howard was a four-star prospect who was the top overall player from Minnesota that year and was ranked as the 18th-best edge rusher in the nation after high school. MSU can quickly improve its defense with a talent like Howard and a few top recruits it has offered scholarships to in incoming recruiting classes.

The Spartans narrowly missed out on Howard in the recruiting process, though, as Hayes Fawcett of On3 reported on Friday that the edge rusher committed to Minnesota. Considering Minnesota is Howard's home, the move makes sense. Still, it hurts the Spartans not only as he doesn't help improve their team, but signing with a Big Ten foe means there's a chance Howard will compete against the Spartans instead of helping them.

Coach Smith and the Spartans hope they will be able to find options in the portal to upgrade their roster. While their on-the-field situation may give some prospects hesitation, the opportunity for instant playing time and all of the possibilities that come with Name, Image and Likeness give the Spartans a chance with any recruit they reach out to. 

MSU can try different ways of reaching its goals, but the transfer portal may be the most efficient. The Spartans, however, will have to continue trying to secure a few unexpected recruits through the portal, such as Howard. Then, they must hope those recruits can recruit other top talent like themselves to East Lansing.

Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.