2009 Spartan Nation MSU Football Recruits and Rankings. Dantonio Rates the Class: An A!

Each year when I compile my ratings for the incoming recruiting class it is an exhaustive effort and this year is no different. I try very hard to call

Each year when I compile my ratings for the incoming recruiting class it is an exhaustive effort and this year is no different. I try very hard to call coaches, who coached for or against, and to do as much research as possible including speaking to multiple different (non-MSU) division one coaches to help me analyze each kid.Â

Why so much emphasis on recruiting? One NFL coach, when talking about his time as a college coach expressed it better then anyone I had ever heard when he said “it is like getting 25 first round draft picks each year.” What a great analysis.

Please take into account that I do not use other rating systems, stars or whatever may be available. A recruit’s true value is based upon need of the program, his ability to fill that need, his character and finally what other schools offered him. For example, Jim Tressel told me that he has never been around a coach that can evaluate defensive talent like Mark Dantonio. Dantonio’s track record at OSU, UC and here at MSU prove that.Â

If you are a school that runs a spread offense like JLS did, and you already have five great QB’s on scholarship and add yet another, although he may be highly rated he certainly does not fill a need. I also weigh this list based upon need and how they fit that need.

As far as character issues, there are definitely some kids that would come in and fill a need and have lots of hype but cannot stay on the field or even school because of character or academic issues. Mark Dantonio told me “we recruit character first. If a guy can’t stay he can’t play here.” They may be a detriment in the locker room or get arrested thus being a complete loss. Character and academics are a more important issue with this staff, as they won’t recruit kids that can’t cut it. In the past we saw a role the dice mentality, this staff does not operate that way.

Lastly, what other programs have wanted the kid? Does a kid come from a school with a proven track record of developing talent? Do they take unheralded players, and make them stars and put them in the NFL has high draft picks. When I see a kid that is an O lineman, or a running back and he had an offer from a school that is proven there, he gets great points in my system.

So after hours of work and effort, we here at SpartanNation.com excitedly present to you the 2008 MSU football recruiting class.Â

 

1.           David Barrent OT 6’8” 293# West Des Moines, IA Monster LT that is out of the mold that makes NFL scouts drool. Barrent is a super kid on and off the field. He plays with a high motor that many big OL and DL do not. Loves to practice, is fantastic in the classroom and is involved in many off field community endeavors. He comes from a terrific family and comes in with no weaknesses in his game. Making him the best MSU recruit since Charles Rogers arrived. He has all the talent, but more importantly the character to match. A Coach’s take, “I have known Mark Dantonio a long time. He would rather cut off his arms than start a true freshman on the offensive line. Whoever is ahead of him at the tackle spot, better look over his shoulder. Barrent is the kind of kid that could probably come in and start immediately for three years. He is a stud.” Another coaches take on the monster OL: “He plays with a mean streak, but when you meet him off the field you are confident he couldn’t be the kid you just watched on the field.”

2.           Andrew Maxwell QB 6’3” 196# Maxwell is a great QB. Signal caller is a tough spot to adjust to the college game, but he has star written all over him. While the Spartan Nation debates Cousins or Nichol and they should, Maxwell will get a red shirt. After that red shirt season, he will be given every chance to compete and win a starters job and you better not rule him out. A Coach’s take: “We recruited Nichol, Cousins and Maxwell. It was clear to us that he (Maxwell) was BY FAR the better of the three and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Mark puts a shirt on him next season, but he comes out and wins the job in 2010.” Maxwell is the complete package, but like Brian Hoyer last season, his stats at time suffered with completions with some receivers who simply couldn’t catch with him as an equal talent. His rocket balls got dropped, and had some WR’s that consistently ran bad routes, all things hopefully that will be upgraded at MSU.

3.           Chris Norman OLB 6’2” 210# Detroit, MI Chris Norman is an exceptional athlete and person. He is strong as an ox, fast, and most importantly smart. He is able to grab schemes and concept and along with his physical talent and body is a complete defensive player. He may not be the fastest player on the field, but he will hold his own with anyone. He plays with his head up and uses superb technique and incredible footwork to get around or through people. Because of Dantonio’s desire not to play freshman OL (Barrent) and Maxwell getting a red shirt at QB, he is the best candidate to get immediate playing time. Don’t be surprised if he gets in the mix like Greg Jones did, and he could end up a starter by the end of the season. He has all the tools and with the Spartan staff wanting desperately to get Jones to the middle, he would have to unseat Denson for a starting job. Some coaches thought he had a bigger upside with his hand on the ground as a DE, but MSU sees him as a OLB. DE however is something you can’t rule out because you never know what happens when the game moves from the laptop to the field. Coach’s take, “I have been around football a long time and I can think of a lot of great defensive players that have come out of Detroit. I certainly wouldn’t call him the best, but I would also wouldn’t call anyone better.”

4.           Blake Treadwell DT 6’3” 270# East Lansing, MI Treadwell is a smart football player that is blessed with terrific technique, talent and brains. He told me earlier in the season, “Doing well in school was never a thought. My mom would have taken football from me in a second, so I guess I learned to just do good in school and enjoy it because I never would let football go.” It is that attitude that has helped Treadwell succeed not only in the classroom, but on the field. His coach at East Lansing told me previous, “I think Blake is an exceptional football player because he practices as hard as he plays. He wants to be the best.” Coach’s take, “We never really made a play on Treadwell because we assumed he was an MSU kid all the way. We loved his motor and his technique and I think Coach Gill got himself a young man that could come in and contribute right away.” Treadwell told me since he had played OT and DT in high school why DT was his projected spot, “I love defense, I think there is an element of they know what they want to do, and the defense has no clue. On defense you have to use your mind a lot more to try to get in, and mess us their plans and cause confusion.” I loved that mentality.

5.           Edwin “ROCK” Baker RB 5’10” 200# Oak Park, MI Rock runs free with the ball. Seems to have eyes in the side of his head. He is able to run around people and simply make the cut and go. He has great speed. Although hampered by injury as a senior, he has all the tools of greatness. He reminds a lot of people of Sedrick Irvin with his running style and vision. Coach’s take, “He has the ability to create space and make a move. His vision makes him so hard to take down. A good back can elude the first tackler and you see that with Baker. Watch his film and tell me of when you see one guy bring him down. He has to be gang tackled and that will open up passing lanes and force teams to load the box.”Â

6.           Donald Spencer WR 6’4” 201# Ypsilanti, MI Spencer is a big physical receiver who has excellent hands. He doesn’t drop balls and reminds the Spartans of a Devin Thomas type attitude in that, unlike some WR’s, he loves to go across the middle and make big catches without dropping the ball. The Spartan WR group was the biggest disappointment as a unit in 2008 and Spencer will get every chance to get on the field. He is a tough player; he doesn’t pout or think he is more than he is. He has all the tools to be a big-bodied special receiver. Not the fastest of the receivers, but certainly not the slowest and with his massive frame and hands, could be the best of the WR corp. Coach’s take, “Spencer loves contact, and I have seen him go across the middle, catch the ball and then run at and attack defensive backs rather than try to run away from them. He is a LB with great hands, speed and he plays receiver. The Spartans suffered from receivers that dropped passes in 2008 and they better step it up if they want to keep him off the field and taking their spot.”

7.           Larry Caper RB 5’11” 215# Battle Creek, MI Larry Caper is a mix of power and speed. He has superb vision and with his head up uses all of his speed and power to be a game changer. Caper could have gone anywhere he wanted, but told SpartanNation.com when he committed, “I was really drawn to MSU and Coach Dantonio. My faith is so important to my family and me. He asked us to go and pray about joining the Spartan family and what God was doing at MSU, and we walked out the door and just knew that this was home. We really had peace that God wanted me at MSU and to play for Coach Dantonio.” Coach’s take, “Caper reminds me a lot of Lorenzo White and TJ Duckett. In fact we were on him early, but it was clear he would go elsewhere. We have him as our best player in the state, by far. I think he was a little underrated because he didn’t play in Detroit. If he had played in Detroit I truly think he would have been a top player in the nation or if he had not committed to Mark (Dantonio) relatively early and waited for others to offer. He is just the perfect mix of player, character and classroom that any coach could want.”

8.           Dion Sims TE 6’5” 224# Orchard Lake, MI Sims is truly an incredible athlete with very soft hands and runs precise routes. He is such a big target and doesn’t drop passes. Sims has the speed of a possession WR and the size of a lineman. The only concern with Sims is if he will work as hard as the Spartan staff will demand. Coach’s take, “Dion is a super kid, the area of concern is that he has never had to work real hard to be dominate, will he put that effort into practice to be the best football player on the field. The kid has always been the best so his effort hasn’t always been outstanding. If he works as hard as he can, he will be the best player in this class for MSU and play in the NFL. If he doesn’t, he will just be another great athlete who didn’t maximize his God given talent.”

9.           Denicos Allen OLB 5’11” 215# Hamilton, OH Denicos was a great addition to the Spartans as he brings the speed and toughness Coach Dantonio and Coach Narduzzi continue to look to improve team speed. He is a ferocious hitter who has very good technique, loves to study film and brings great passion to the game he loves. Coach’s take, “I would put Norman at DE and Allen at OLB with Jones in the middle and Gordon outside.   Norman is so fast that even as a small DE, I don’t know of many LT’s that can stop him and that lets Allen hit the field ASAP. He was a great pickup for Coach Dantonio and his strength is that he is so passionate about football and brings it every down, every quarter and every snap. If you watch film when the game is essentially over you can see many times he is the one still playing. He loves football and clearly football likes him”

10.        Jeremy Gainer OLB 6’1” 213# Detroit, MI Gainer is another high motor LB. When the MSU staff arrived, the Spartans LB group was depleted and you can tell by this class that they have made replenishing that group a top priority. With this class you can truthfully declare that the mission is accomplished. Gainer has all the tools and I hate to sound like a broken record, but again you see the same character and talent mix that this staff relishes. Coach’s take, “I have seen a lot of Norman and Gainer and I see no difference between the two. Both are great players. Dantonio has some good young backers that red shirted in 2008 and along with this class, you have to start asking who plays? One thing the Spartans have done is gone from perhaps the slowest group of backers in the Big Ten to among the elite with speed. Gainer will compete and with the new Spartan commitment to backers, that says a whole lot.”

11.       Nate Klatt CENTER 6’4” 292# Canal Fulton, OH Klatt is a super athlete with great hand and foot technique and as a center you have to be able to deliver the ball to the QB and use your hands and feet to do your assignment. He also has good speed that is underrated at his position. Many people don’t understand that the center is essentially the QB of the OL and Klatt’s smarts can’t go without being recognized. Coach’s take, “Klatt is the real deal and I don’t think there has been a better center in Ohio since Mangold. In fact, I was shocked that Tress (Jim Tressel at OSU) didn’t get him. OSU was loaded and just didn’t have a spot. This young man is a ball player.”

12.       Henry Conway OT 6’6” 305# Shaker Heights, OH Conway will do well with a red shirt and a year with Coach Ken Mannie. He has the tenacity that won’t let him back away from the challenge that lies ahead of him in the weight room. Coach’s take, “Henry is a smart kid but he plays with a mean streak. He’s got good, not great, technique but he makes up for it by being an excellent athlete,” said the Coach, “He has to get stronger but he has exceptional hands, which is very important at his projected position.”

13.       Kevin Muma K 6’ 170# Troy, MI I rated Aaron Bates the MSU punter very high when Mark Dantonio signed him because I know Mark Dantonio and his system. He doesn’t give a scholarship easily, especially at the K and P position. His style of ball control football is reliant upon those two vastly underrated positions. Muma will kick the ball out of the end zone and he will also make the big kicks. He was a great get for Dantonio and the Spartan Nation. Coach’s take, “He makes the field longer for the defense with his ability to boot the ball for touchbacks and he can make the long kick that shortens the field for the offense with a field goal threat. He is a big time kicker and MSU got a good one.Â

14.       Jairus Jones 6’2” 210# S Tampa, FL Jones displayed amazing versatility this past season playing safety, linebacker, running back and wide receiver while also returning kicks and punts. Not only did Jones play nearly every position, he excelled at all of them, registering 40 catches for 800 yards and 12 TD’s on offense to go with 188 tackles and 4 interceptions on defense. Not bad for a kid who hurt his knee in a pre-season scrimmage and played the entire season with lingering effects. Jones will be playing in the defensive backfield next season at Safety and will have a chance to contribute right away, considering the amount of turnover at his position. Coach’s take, “Jones is a great hitter with a body that could easily add 15 pounds and I don’t think he would lose any speed. He will fit into that scheme of the Spartans real well. He couldn’t have picked a better scheme and I think he will play young.”

15.       Dan France 6’6” 275# DE North Royalton, OH France is a great athlete and will bring to the table some speed to the DE position and while he is certainly not weak he will do well under the tutelage of Ken Mannie. He has a high motor and at times can make some super hits. He drops his head when hitting but that is a simple technique that must be corrected because at the next level he will be playing against everyone that is as talented as he is. France is simply another young man that brings on and off field integrity that makes people stop and say wow. Coach’s take, “Dan is a super kid that has always been so talented that at times he has been able to forsake technique because of his power and speed. That is O.K. because he is teachable and the Spartans staff will fix it and he can take it. He could have the biggest upside of the Spartan 2009 class.”

16.       Denzel Drone 6’2” 230# DE Plant City, FL Drone originally committed to Western Kentucky, but an incredible senior season and more importantly some impressive combine type workouts moved him to the forefront of the Spartans agenda, which was adding DL players. He is fast and has good technique. Coach’s take, “I am very impressed with Drone. His performance at a combine was sensational and he looked like a man among boys. Had he not had an injury in 2007 he would have never been so far off of the radar. MSU stole a super recruit.”

17.       Dana Dixon 6’2” 176# S Detroit, MI Dixon is a hard hitting safety that is fast and has at times what appears to be a heat seeking missile in his helmet with the way he can find the ball. In the Spartan scheme, he will have to learn not to think so much and use that heat seeking missle type attack that he has shown flashes of. On and off the field another super person who happens to play football. Coach’s take, “Dana is such a great kid that people meet him off the field and can’t believe the way he plays. You continue to have to talk about his as a person and those same high character traits that he shows off of the field, make him the kind of kid that will soak up the coaching and with time in the scheme and coaching, he could be a very good safety at MSU.

18.       TyQuan Hammock LB 6’1” 220# Hammock is a monster. He is an athletic freak with great leaping ability and tremendous strength. Hammock has the great hand technique that many overlook when they look at an MLB and has the ability to shed blocks. I know of two college coaches (not at MSU) who think he will be the best LB of this class. Coach’s take, “I love Hammock and the ability to shed blocks while keeping his head up. He is strong and fast and he will have to spend the time in the tape room and practice hard to play for Mark, but he has all the tools.”

19.       Patrick White WR 5’11” 170# Pickerington, OH White has great hands and exceptional speed. He runs precise routes and uses his incredible strength to create separation. Coach’s take, “We liked White more than Spencer, and we liked him. He moves so well without the ball and isn’t afraid to block.”

20.       Bennie Fowler WR 6’2” 180# Detroit, MI Fowler finds the end zone. He seems to posses a nose for the goal line and you have to have a guy that can smell it like Fowler can. He is an exceptional blocker with a real mean streak, but isn’t a bad kid. Coach’s take, “Fowler seems to just make the plays. When you looked at him he was O.K., but turn on the film or watch him in person and you will see a young man that is a playmaker.  One of our coaches joked that he was like former Piston Vinnie Johnson in that when he is in the game the energy goes up.

21.       Micajah Reynolds OG 6’5” #313 Reynolds is a strong young man who when he has his head in the game is a man among children. The problem he faces is that when he gets bored, or lacks focus his production drops off. He is a super kid and smart, his only issue is heart. Coach’s take, “He will leave MSU as one of the best ever, or a complete failure. No one knows but Micajah. If he works hard he could be a special player, if he loses focus and lacks attention to detail he will find himself in the coaches dog house quick.”

22.       Derek Hoebing TE 6’6” 245# Hoebing is an amazing athlete. We have him listed at 22, but that is a testament to the class and not a knock on him. Hoebing is athletic, fast and strong. He is a TE in an OL body and when he is blocking or has the ball he not only isn’t afraid of contact, he enjoys it. Coach’s take, “He is an exceptional talent that is able to get open, block at the line and down the field and isn’t afraid of contact. He is a complete tight end.”

23.       Corey Freeman DE 6’3” 235# Cleveland Heights, OH. We here at Spartan Nation have been impressed with all the comments about Corey being a great kid and we wish him well. He was not rated for this article simply because he won’t be getting a scholarship. We look forward to the day that we can rate him and add him s as a scholarship athlete to the Spartan football program. He is enrolled in school and is a non-qualifier and will not be able to practice or play for a time. As soon as he is qualified, he will get a scholarship and be a great players at MSU. We are rooting for you Corey.

There you go. Certainly it isn’t an exhaustive list, but it took us several days to get back quotes and comments on each one from outside MSU. Mark Dantonio rated this class an A and I would agree with that. Overall we won’t have any clue how good this class is until five years from now. I can say without hesitation that the MSU coaches are as excited about this class as they appear publicly and top to bottom this could be MSU’s most solid class in a long time.