2028 4-Star SF Cole Kelly Sets Visit With Michigan State

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Time to straighten up.

Michigan State has another official visit on the books, and this time, it will be a member of the 2028 recruiting class making his way to East Lansing.

Four-star small forward Cole Kelly has set an official visit with Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans for Sept. 4, giving the Spartans another opportunity to make an impression on one of the top young prospects in the country.

Kelly, a 6-foot-6, 185-pound small forward from Neuqua Valley in Naperville, Illinois, is already attracting plenty of attention from some of the top programs across the country. Izzo, meanwhile, is wasting no time getting involved in the 2028 recruiting class.

According to 247Sports, Kelly is rated as a 93, which ranks him No. 34 nationally in the 2028 recruiting class. He is also ranked as the No. 10 small forward in the country and the No. 2 overall recruit from the state of Illinois.

Kelly's composite ranking, which combines the evaluations from several major recruiting outlets, gives him a 0.9672 rating. That still puts him firmly in four-star territory, while ranking him No. 67 nationally, No. 17 among small forwards and No. 2 in Illinois.

Izzo certainly isn't the first coach to take notice of Kelly.

The young prospect has already received a plethora of offers, including from Purdue, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Indiana, Drake, Butler, Creighton, DePaul, Marquette and Saint Louis.

One name noticeably missing from that list is Michigan State.

Izzo has yet to officially extend an offer to Kelly, but that could change when the 2028 recruit arrives in East Lansing on Sept. 4 for Grind Week. If Kelly impresses during his visit, it would not be surprising to see the Spartans make an offer before he leaves.

Izzo has been hot on the recruiting trail throughout the year, working to build the foundation for Michigan State's future while preparing for another season with expectations as high as ever.

That balancing act is nothing new for Izzo.

With Jeremy Fears Jr., the Wooden Award betting favorite, leading the way, Izzo has to keep his attention on the current team and the season ahead. At the same time, he has to continue evaluating and recruiting the players who could eventually become the next generation of Spartans.

Even 31 years into his tenure, Izzo continues to make the future of Michigan State basketball a priority while still living in the moment with his current team.

Kelly is not currently listed in the ESPN SportsCenter Next Top 100 for the 2028 class, but that could change if he continues to put on a show throughout the year.

That list has proven to be a useful jumping-off point for Izzo and the Spartans. Last year's Michigan State recruiting class featured four players ranked in the Top 100, while the 2027 prospects who have official visits set with Michigan State have also appeared on the SportsCenter Next Top 100.

Izzo clearly isn't slowing down on the recruiting trail.

After putting together a top-10 recruiting class for 2026, Michigan State is looking to continue climbing the recruiting rankings in 2027 and 2028. Another strong class could give the Spartans an opportunity to compete for a spot among the nation's top five recruiting classes.

And it could all start with another impressive visit from one of Illinois' top young prospects.

Cole Kelly will get his chance to see what Michigan State has to offer on Sept. 4.

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