20 Texas 3* CB Ennis Rakestraw, Jr. Talks Michigan State Offer
Since the conclusion of the early signing period, there are few, if any, recruits who have seen their recruitment rise more than Duncanville (TX) 2020 3-star cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr., who has fielded several offers from power 5 programs over the course of the past week, including one from Michigan State on Saturday.
#AGTG Blessed to receive an offer from Michigan State University 🟢⚪️ pic.twitter.com/mXNVG6Udgd
— Ennis Rakestraw Jr (@EnnisRakestraw) December 28, 2019
Spartan Nation recently caught up with Rakestraw to talk about his recruitment and his recent offer from the Spartans and 6-foot-1, 170-pound defensive back admitted that while it’s been a bit crazy, he’s excited to see his hard work pay off in the form of some big-time offers.
“It’s been hectic, there’s been a lot of schools calling me and it’s been unbelievable,” he said. “It’s immeasurable, I’ve put in a lot of hard work. I showed the country that I can play with the best and now I find myself beating the odds.”
Along with his offer from Michigan State, Rakestraw also holds offers from Baylor, Miami, Kansas, Washington State, UConn and, most recently, Georgia, who extended an offer on New Year’s Eve, along with a handful of other Division 1 offers.
Check out Ennis Rakestraw Jr on @Hudl https://t.co/UD6CqhkJaf #hudl
— Hondo Carpenter (@HondoCarpenter) January 2, 2020
When it comes to his offer from Michigan State, Rakestraw said that he considers to be a big deal for him and was obviously excited when he received the news.
“When they offered me, I was like wow, that’s really big,” he said. “MSU is one of those schools – they don’t offer everybody, you must have some type of talent.”
Rakestraw said he found out about his offer from Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio and said he enjoyed having the opportunity to talk with the longtime Spartan head coach.
“Just knowing his history, it was like unbelievable that I was on the phone with a legendary coach,” he said. “He told me he liked how I played, I have long arms and I’m athletic. I can come in and do the same thing I’m doing and I’ll have a chance to play.”
#AGTG blessed to receive an offer from the University of Georgia 🔴⚫️ pic.twitter.com/TOVx5NHYes
— Ennis Rakestraw Jr (@EnnisRakestraw) December 31, 2019
Before he received the offer from Michigan State, Rakestraw had been in contact with the Spartans and was hearing from defensive backs coach Paul Haynes.
A current Michigan State signee, Carrollton (TX) Hebron 3-star linebacker Darius Snow, was advocating for Rakestraw to receive a potential offer from the Spartans and is already trying to recruit the standout defensive back to East Lansing.
Rakestraw said that while he and Snow are getting to know each other, he likes the idea of potentially playing alongside someone else from the Dallas area.
“Me and Darius Snow are just starting to get to know each other,” he said. “But I know about him, he’s a great player. He’s from Dallas and us Dallas boys bring something different to the table. It’d be nice having someone from Dallas with me.”
Rakestraw told Spartan Nation that he has an official visit to Michigan State scheduled for January 17th.
As far as his offer from Baylor is concerned, Rakestraw said he was a bit surprised when he learned of his offer because he originally anticipated the Bears offering sooner.
“It was shocking because they acted like they were going to offer early,” he said. “So when they offered, it was like, ‘Wow’.”
Even though Baylor is located in his home state of Texas, Rakestraw said that location won’t have much of an impact on his college decision and noted that he’s looking for a school, program and coaching staff that will make him feel at home wherever he goes.
“I don’t really don’t even know at this point,” he said. “To be honest, it doesn’t matter how close the school is to me. It matters about coaches and when I’m released from my parents it (the school) can be my home away from home.”
When it comes to what type of defensive back he is, Rakestraw said he considers himself to be both physical and smart and likes to let his play do the talking.
“I’m just a lockdown, physical corner,” he said. “I’m a smart corner, I know the weaknesses and the strength of coverages. I’m just a dog, I lead by example and I play with confidence that’s out of this world.”
Rakestraw said he expects to make his college decision on National Signing Day, which takes place on Wednesday, February 5th.
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