Michigan State football locks in big 2026 target for spring visit

Michigan State football has locked in a big 2026 visitor for the spring. Jonathan Smith has his sights set on future classes.

Spring is here and while the Michigan State football team is hard at work with lifts and conditioning, the coaches are continuing to push on the recruiting trail. As I’ve talked about before, Jonathan Smith and staff have really pushed to focus on local recruiting first. That continues to happen as a big offensive line target from the class of 2026 locked a visit in with Michigan State on Wednesday.

That target is none other than Davison, Mich., tackle Ben Nichols.

NEWS: 2026 in-state OL Ben Nichols will visit #MichiganState on April 13th, he tells @C_Robinson247.

He’ll be a key name to watch next cycle.

Profile: https://t.co/ZmNjlEj3QY pic.twitter.com/LDtuCy5CKP

— SpartanTailgate.com (@SpartanTailgate) March 6, 2024

That’s right, Nichols will be back on campus for spring practice on April 13.

While not yet ranked on 247Sports, Nichols is gaining more and more interest in recruiting circles. The Spartans initially offered him last June with Mel Tucker. After coming in, Smith and offensive line coach Jim Michalczik have reaffirmed their interest in him. Since then, he has come back to East Lansing, visiting in February for Smith’s Junior Day. He now will be making another return trip to East Lansing for spring ball.

Nichols currently holds only five offers but bigger schools are starting to take notice. So far in 2024, he has picked up offers from Purdue and Florida State. He also holds offers from MSU, Central Michigan, and Eastern Michigan. He stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 315 pounds. He has been a crucial part in Davison’s resurgence the past few years. This past season, they made it to the state semifinals before losing 2025’s top recruit in the nation, Bryce Underwood and Belleville.

Nichols will be looking to make another big step this upcoming fall as a junior and Davison is again looking to make a run at a title. As the season goes on, expect Nichols to start picking up more offers as he gets more exposure. He has all the tools to turn into a big time collegiate offensive line prospect. I think he and Michalczik would be a great match and really gel together. Hopefully we get to see that pair get to work together soon.