Michigan State brings quarterback Atticus Carridine into the program

Coach Jonathan Smith has continued to find talent from a variety of sources to add to Michigan State’s roster. During his short time in East Lansing, Coach Smith has shown that he doesn’t place much value on a player’s ranking when recruiting. The indifference of Smith and his coaching staff to recruit rankings is admirable.

In an era of college football where players are defined by stars and rankings, Smith and his coaching staff looking beyond the recruiting rankings shows how confident they are in their ability to coach a wide range of players, whether they are unranked or highly ranked. The fact that Smith and his coaching staff believe so strongly in their coaching abilities speaks volumes.

It also shows that Smith and his coaching staff understand how often players who aren’t highly ranked end up contributing to important, sometimes even major, accomplishments for college football programs across the country. Smith’s recruiting strategy can pay off, assuming he and his coaching staff are correct in their assessment of their coaching abilities. Time will tell, however, whether they are correct or not.

Smith’s ability to look beyond a player’s ranking is also admirable, as it gives many talented players a chance, but would be overlooked by most schools who care more about a player’s ranking than Smith and his coaching staff. Smith’s open-mindedness in recruiting will give unranked or not highly ranked players a chance to develop, which is all many low-ranked players need.