Analysis of 2027 TE Ryan Pankey's Commitment to MSU
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Commitments continue to roll in for Michigan State football.
The latest recruit to do so is Montrose (Colo.) tight end prospect Ryan Pankey. He announced his decision on social media early Monday morning. Pankey was the second commitment in the span of a few hours --- Lone Star (Texas) wide receiver Zach Forbish committed to the Spartans a bit before midnight on Sunday.
COMMITTED!! 🟢⚪️
— RYAN PANKEY 3⭐️ ‘27 (@ryanpankey44) June 8, 2026
I'm beyond grateful and blessed to announce commitment to Michigan State University!
Thank you to my family, friends, and coaches who supported me along the way.
Go Green ⚔️@CoachWozniakTE @CoachLail pic.twitter.com/4mRBXD4bYf
What to Know About Pankey
Pankey adds more great size to MSU's future tight end room. He stands at 6'6" and about 235 pounds. Montrose was a team that ran the ball, and then ran the ball some more. Pankey probably projects to be more of a blocking tight end. He also excelled as a defensive end during his junior season.
The Rivals Industry Rankings currently have Pankey at 1,321st overall in the class of 2027, with Pankey being the No. 10 overall recruit from Colorado. His other notable offers in his recruitment were from Oregon State, Washington State, Colorado State, San Diego State, UNLV, and Navy.
Outlook for TE Room
Getting Pankey's commitment will make Michigan State and tight ends coach Brian Wozniak evaluate how much they want to pursue other tight ends. One big name that MSU would certainly make room for is Detroit (Mich.) Country Day prospect Anthony Cartwright Jr. He's a four-star prospect who visited MSU the weekend of May 29-31, but the Spartans are battling some bigger names there (Michigan, Oregon, LSU, Miami).
No other tight end recruits seem to have visited or are scheduled to visit besides Cartwright and Pankey. There is a fair chance Wozniak would be just fine taking in a single tight end this year. Two tight ends (Carson Gulker and Kai Rios) are entering their final seasons of eligibility this year, but Michigan State has an interesting crop of young talent already around.
Redshirt freshman Jayden Savoury and true freshman Eddie Whiting are both names that made some noise during spring. Joe Caudill, another true freshman, also has a lot of potential. He was one of MSU's higher-ranked guys in the 2026 class, though Caudill is still transitioning from being a quarterback in high school to playing tight end in college.
Wozniak and the staff also recently extended an offer to high four-star tight end Jevyn Severson, who is in the class of 2028. He's from Madrid, Iowa, and is the No. 4 prospect at his position in his class. Severson's offer list already includes Iowa, Iowa State, Penn State, Indiana, Nebraska, and a long list of other Power Four schools.
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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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