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Michigan State picks up 2026 commitment from Georgia DB
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Michigan State is working toward its best recruiting finish under head coach Jonathan Smith, and that’s certainly a good sign for the Spartans after a trend of rough seasons. On Saturday, the program picked up another key piece for the 2026 recruiting class, this time from a player out of the southeast.
The player is TJ Umenyiora, a cornerback out of Blessed Trinity Catholic in Roswell, Georgia. Umenyiora was also considering SEC programs, Auburn and Mississippi State before committing to Michigan State.
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Listed at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, Umenyiora is rated as a 3-star recruit for the 2026 recruiting class. The 247 Sports Composite has Umenyiora as the 87th overall cornerback in the country for the cycle.
TJ is the son of Osi Umenyiora, the 56th overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft out of Troy. The elder Umenyiora was a first-team All-Pro in 2005 and was a member of 2 Super Bowl titles for the New York Giants.
Umenyiora joins the 2026 recruiting class as the 2nd CB commitment of the cycle for Michigan State and a 4th defensive back in the group. So far, that recruiting class ranks 35th nationally per the 247 Sports Composite.
Since being hired at the end of the 2023 season, Smith has not produced a top-40 recruiting class in East Lansing. While his long-term goal is to position Michigan State as a premier development destination, the early results have not been on the same level as other new coaches around the country.
We’ll see how the Spartans are able to add to and round out the class before we reach the end of the cycle.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.