Samson is one of just three four-star commits Michigan State has in the 2026 class. He is ranked 364th overall and sixth in the state of Michigan, according to his Rivals Industry Ranking.

Four straight losses, all by double digits. The juice Michigan State began the season with amid a 3-0 start is long gone but another trophy game is ahead and it’s the biggest one on the schedule. The Spartans (3-4,

Nick Marsh, Aidan Chiles and Jonathan Smith got a first taste of Michigan State football's rivalry with Michigan in 2024, a "bad taste" that lingers.

A year and a half into his tenure at Michigan State, things haven't gone according to plan for Spartans' head coach Jonathan Smith. In his first year, MSU finished with a 5-7 overall record, and after a 3-0 start to the 2025 campaign,

The Spartans (3-4, 0-4 Big Ten) will get another crack at the rivalry when they host No. 25 Michigan (5-2, 3-1) on Saturday (7:30 p.m., NBC). They’re desperate to snap a four-game skid amid questions about Smith’s job security and the man in charge is still salty about a 24-17 defeat in his rivalry debut.

The article argues that if a decision to fire Smith has been made, it should happen before the rivalry game against Michigan. The author predicts Smith will not be fired on Sunday and will coach against Michigan next week.

Michigan defensive end Josaiah Stewart (0) holds the Paul Bunyan Trophy back into the tunnel after 24-17 win over Michigan State at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images