Pat Fitzgerald didn’t waste any time making it clear: he’s ready to get to work in East Lansing. The new Michigan State head coach was introduced on Tuesday afternoon, and while he handled the press conference with the poise you’d expect from a veteran, you could sense the urgency behind his words. Signing Day is right around the corner, and Fitzgerald has calls to make, players to meet, and a recruiting class to stabilize.
And that last part? That’s already proving to be a challenge.
While several recruits have reaffirmed their commitments to the Spartans under the new regime - including Joey Caudill, Eddie Whiting, Eli Bickel, Brayden Thomas, Kayd Coffman, and Adam Shaw - not everyone is staying on board. Fitzgerald is inheriting a recruiting class in flux, and Tuesday brought a reminder of just how fluid things can be this time of year.
Christopher Knauls Jr., a three-star defensive lineman who had initially reaffirmed his commitment to Michigan State on Monday, reversed course just 24 hours later. As Fitzgerald was addressing the media, Knauls announced on social media that he would be decommitting and reopening his recruitment.
“After careful consideration! I will not be signing early tomorrow to Michigan State.
I will be decommitting and reopening my recruitment 100%. Thank you.” - @ChrisKnaulsJR
It’s a tough blow for Fitzgerald, especially given the timing. Knauls had publicly backed the program just a day earlier, signaling his intent to sign during the early period. But something clearly shifted - whether it was a conversation with the new coaching staff, a change in vision, or just a gut feeling - and now the Spartans will have to move forward without him.
To be clear, Knauls wasn’t the highest-rated recruit in the class. He’s ranked just inside the top 1,500 nationally.
But his offer sheet tells a different story. Programs like Oklahoma State, Utah, Kansas State, and Texas Tech - schools that know how to identify and develop talent - had extended offers.
That kind of attention suggests Knauls has more upside than his ranking might indicate.
For Fitzgerald, this is the reality of taking over a program in December. Recruits commit to coaches as much as they do to schools, and when a staff changes, so does the dynamic.
Some players will buy in immediately. Others, like Knauls, will take a step back and reassess.
That’s not unusual - it’s just part of the job.
The good news for Michigan State? Despite the movement, the 2026 class is still holding strong, sitting inside the top 40 nationally. But keeping it there - and potentially climbing - will require some heavy lifting between now and February’s National Signing Day.
Fitzgerald has built recruiting classes before. He knows what it takes to sell a vision, build relationships, and close strong.
But this is a different challenge, and the clock is ticking. The next few weeks will go a long way in shaping not just this class, but the early foundation of his tenure in East Lansing.