Michigan State Gets Huge Commitment from Five-Star C
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Five-star center Ethan Taylor announced that he will be heading to Michigan State on Friday afternoon. He chose the Spartans over other finalists Indiana, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Oregon.
Taylor is ranked 23rd overall in the class of 2026 and the No. 2 center, according to the 247Sports Composite. He currently attends Link Academy in Missouri and is teammates there with now-fellow MSU commit and point guard Carlos Medlock Jr.
NEWS: 2026 Top-25 overall recruit Ethan Taylor has committed to Michigan State, he told @Rivals.
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) November 14, 2025
The 7-1 center chose the Spartans over Oregon, Kansas, Oklahoma, and others.
“Michigan Stats checked all my boxes…the fanbase is amazing.” https://t.co/pOrKAHoWrj pic.twitter.com/a1iP1qJc24
Tom Izzo and his staff have been working on this one for a few months now. Taylor visited East Lansing during the team’s annual “Michigan State Madness” event on Oct. 3, where he received chants of his own name. He also crowd-surfed at the Izzone Campout for a little bit.
Taylor is also considered one of the fastest risers in this class. His 247Sports Composite ranking was as low as 67th in January, but of course has shot up since. Taylor has some impressive size, as well. He said during his commitment show that he's now 7-foot-1.5 and still growing, and his wingspan has been measured at 7-foot-3.
In a July scouting report, Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports wrote that Taylor “may be the most physically gifted big man in the class,” also penning that “he’s also a good athlete for his size who runs fluidly, gets off his feet powerfully, and even has some agility. He can spin-off contact in the post, rise-up for emphatic power dunks, and be a consistent lob threat.”
Taylor should be an instant contributor for MSU as a true freshman. Starting big men Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper will both have exhausted their eligibility following this season, opening up the opportunity for Taylor to step in quickly.
Michigan State’s Next Class, 2026-27 Outlook
Friday’s news now means Michigan State has four commitments in its 2026 class: Taylor, Medlock, power forward Julius Avent and shooting guard Jasiah Jervis. The Spartans announced Medlock’s and Avent’s signings on Wednesday and Jervis’s on Thursday.
Jervis is 35th in the 247Sports Composite, Medlock is No. 73, and Avent is No. 78. Even before the addition of Taylor to that, MSU’s class was ranked fifth in the country.
That’s four players to replace five on the current roster who are on their final year. Players set to exit the program are: Kohler, Cooper, Trey Fort, Denham Wojcik, and Nick Sanders. The possibility of transfer portal exits and additions can never be ruled out, either.
It all sets up to be a roster that has a real chance to contend in 2026-27. Jeremy Fears Jr., Coen Carr, Cam Ward, Jordan Scott, and Kur Teng are all set to be back for that year. Oh yeah, the Final Four is in Detroit in 2027, too.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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