Jonathan Smith and his Michigan State football staff had a busy recruiting weekend.
The Spartans landed commitments from three three-star prospects, picking up a pledge from Georgia cornerback Kelsey “KJ” Deriso on Saturday and adding Texas defensive lineman Christopher Knauls Jr. and Florida safety Eliyjah Caldwell-Hardy on Sunday. That brings Smith’s 2026 class up to nine players.
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The 6-foot-1, 165-pound Deriso is rated the nation’s No. 79 cornerback in his class and the No. 954 overall player, according to 247Sports.com’s composite rankings. The product of Whitewater High in Fayetteville, Georgia, picked MSU over offers from Kentucky, Louisville, Mississippi State, Georgia Tech and a number of mid-major Football Bowl Subdivision programs.
Michigan State football head coach Jonathan Smith looks on during practice on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in East Lansing.
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Knauls, a 6-4 and 262-pound product of Lone Star High in Frisco, Texas, is rated the No. 105 defensive lineman and No. 1,020 player in 2026 per 247Sports.com’s composite rankings. He had offers from Colorado, Oklahoma State, California, Houston, Kansas, Texas Tech and others.
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The 6-foot, 185-pound Caldwell-Hardy, from Jacksonville, Florida, is ranked as the nation’s No. 115 safety according to 247Sports’ internal rankings. The product of Global Impact Ministries Academy had an offer from UCLA among a number of other mid-tier programs.
Smith and the Spartans held their high school prospects camp in East Lansing over the weekend through Sunday. The early signing period for 2026 prospects will be in December.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football: Jonathan Smith adds 3 more 2026 commitments
