Spadafora Brothers Getting It Done Together
10/7/2025 11:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Brothers Jake and Luke Spadafora grew up in Northville, Michigan, dreaming of one day sharing the soccer field. Now, that is reality, as both suit up for Michigan State soccer, bringing a lifetime of backyard battles into the Big Ten.
Senior forward Jake, an advertising management major, has grown into a reliable finisher. He reads angles in the box, times runs to the half-second and turns small windows into shots on frame. At the same time, he is also versatile, having also performed in every area of the soccer pitch.
Freshman midfielder Luke brings range and control. He wins midfield scraps, shields the ball with his frame and finds the next pass before pressure arrives.
"I feel like we have that extra chemistry … I don't even have to look and I know where he's running," Jake said. "He knows where to go, and I just play the ball — and vice versa."
Luke added, "We definitely have an advantage. I'd say we know each other's tendencies and what the other is going to do."
Production matches the picture. Jake has appeared in 52 career matches and started 42. He tied for third on the team in scoring during the 2023 season and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2024. At 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, he wins with timing more than size.
Luke, a 6-foot-2 presence in midfield, announced himself with a game-winner against Detroit Mercy in his third collegiate match. The strike earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors and signaled a two-way presence that lifts the tempo through midfield.
Before East Lansing, Luke's route ran through MLS NEXT and pro-adjacent minutes. He developed with the Michigan Wolves in MLS NEXT, earning a reputation for range and tempo control in midfield. The attacking midfielder also spent time with Austin FC's academy pipeline and logged experience connected to MLS NEXT Pro with Austin FC II, sharpening his speed of play against older, faster opponents.
That stretch, plus summer matches with Oakland County FC, gave him the habits that now show up at Michigan State: win it, turn under pressure, play forward within two touches.
Their differences make the pairing work. One plays on the last shoulder. One arranges the chessboard behind him.
"Whether that was high school or at Sunday League, it was always a dream to see them playing together," Eric said. "Their rapport with one another is very strong, and their bond is very strong."
Weekends from their youth are still important to Cheryl, their mom. One day Jake finished every chance. The next day Luke created nearly all of them. Competition pushed them forward. Support kept them close.
"There was competition, and there was support," Cheryl said. "They were happy for each other's successes, but they could be competitive, too."
Faith sits at the center of the story for the brothers.
"We're big in our faith, and it's the biggest blessing from Jesus Christ," Jake said. "It was a gift from Him, and we use it to glorify Him."
The day-to-day grind is less visible. It matters more. Morning lifts, afternoon film, treatment, travel, class. The routine asks for the same focus they learned in the backyard, only with more miles.
"Most people underestimate how difficult and demanding Division I college athletics are on the student-athlete," Eric, their dad, said.
Jake had already been exposed to that pace before Michigan State. Like his brother, he came through the Michigan Wolves, but he also earned a spot with the Philadelphia Union Academy. In 2021, he helped the Union reach the MLS NEXT Playoffs in Dallas with a team ranked No. 3 nationally. Facing top defenders at that level sharpened the timing and composure that now define him as a reliable presence for the Spartans.
Jake learned how to carry that schedule first, then showed Luke what it takes to repeat performance. The calendar does not slow, but the habits sharpen.
Michigan State Head Coach Damon Rensing values what the brothers add when no one keeps stats. The locker room lifts when they walk in. Training climbs a level when they talk.
"They bring an uptick to the locker room because they're both great personalities," Rensing said. "They always provide energy and laughter."
The conference is changing, and trips are longer. The target stays the same.
Expansion has reshaped the Big Ten into a coast-to-coast league. Michigan State now faces the travel demands of traveling to Rutgers and Maryland in the east to Washington and California in the west.
"Our goals don't change," Rensing said. "We want to put ourselves in position to challenge for the Big Ten Championship. And if you do that, other goals will follow."
There was a night this season that felt like a marker. Michigan State took down Indiana. The result looked like payoff and promise at once.
"You become very thankful for the opportunities that they've earned," Eric said. "And hopeful that nights … where you have one of the biggest upsets in the last decade in program history, happen in front of your eyes."
It was MSU's biggest upset in over a decade — a 1–0 win against No. 3 Indiana, the Big Ten's measuring stick. For the Spartans, it was a statement night.
Cheryl keeps it simple. Two sons, one field, the school they chose.
"It's overwhelming, watching the boys I love play the sport they love together," Cheryl said. "We're so blessed, and I'm so thankful to coach Damon Rensing. They trust one another, and I'm grateful for that connection."
The brothers know how rare this is.
"Playing with each other at the highest level is something I really cherish and will never take for granted," Luke said. "Big brothers are meant to be role models."
"It's the coolest thing," Jake said. "The greatest blessing … just to play with him, be with him, walk in the locker room together every day. It's the coolest thing."
