Former Michigan high school coach praises Michigan State football recruiting

Former Belleville High School coach Jermain Crowell had an impressive career, compiling an 86-10 record in eight years with the program and leading Belleville to its first Division 1 state title before being suspended by the MHSAA for violations through the 2023 season.

Belleville finally let him go.

His absence was a major blow to high school football in the state of Michigan, as he led one of the most successful programs, but he was a respected coach who made a mistake when he was believed to have tried to recruit a young player before his freshman year at Detroit King.

Crowell sent a lot of players to the FBS and even Michigan State had some of his products, although none of them proved to be particularly successful – Devontae Dobbs and Julian Barnett are prime examples.

But Michigan State’s new football team has caught his attention for all the right reasons. Jonathan Smith and the Spartans have made recruiting Michigan State a top priority, and Crowell is happy to see that.

It’s cool to see high school coaches in the state of Michigan giving the Spartans credit because for a while it felt like the Spartans were ignoring the talent in their own backyard. Although the talent isn’t exactly blossoming because a lot of local kids are leaving the MHSAA for bigger programs in other states, the Spartans are still doing a good job in Michigan.

This could be useful later on if some big-name kids move up and want to stay around and Michigan State prioritizes them from the start.

According to a former star coach at a high school in Michigan, Smith is doing a great job.