Big Names on the Recruiting Trail could Begin to Drop Soon

As the Michigan State Spartans travel to Minnesota to get a taste of true football weather, and the college football season approaches Thanksgiving and the end of the regular season, the recruiting trail is heating up. Official visits are winding down, and many recruits are nearing decision time. There is only so much information to gather about the schools that are recruiting them, and with the holidays approaching, many young men want to put the intense recruiting process to rest with a final decision and verbal commitment. Here's a look at some prominent names still on the MSU radar.

 

First, the defensive backfield. Everyone's favorite will-he- or won't-he-come her recruit, Detroit Cass Tech's Dior Mathis, has playedthe recruiting game close to the vest. While UM typically owns Cass Tech prospects, MSU has consistently been on Mathis' radar, giving the Big Blue lots of competition in a fertile Wolverine recruiting ground. But when it's all said and done, Mathis is as likely to head west to the land that Nike built for the University of Oregon, as the Ducks have put the full court press on the talented corner, hoping to woo him away from his home state. My completely unscientific, fearless prediction says the chances of Mathis coming to MSU are less than 25%.

 

In Ohio, a pair of defensive backs are still on the Spartan radar. Latwan Anderson, a safety from St Edward HS, recently visited East Lansing, where his former schoolmate Delvon Roe now resides. Cincinnati is also in major player for Anderson, and Brian Kelly is in hot pursuit of a player many once considered a candidate for the Buckeyes. Anderson might be more likely than Mathis to end up at MSU, but my gut says MSU is under 50%.

 

Another defensive backfield athlete on the MSU radar also being courted by Ohio State is Cleveland Glenville's Christian Bryant. While the Buckeyes appear to be the prohibitive favorite, Bryant would be a great fit for the Green and White, where the chance to contribute early would be much higher as the Spartans work to build talent and depth to an inconsistent secondary. If OSU goes all out for Bryant, he's a Buckeye lock; but if MSU gets the opportunity to become the most prominent Big Ten school to court him, Bryant may just end up in green: under 50% for MSU with an asterisks.

 

Skyler Schofner is another Ohio athlete with Buckeyes on the mind. The 6-foot-7 offensive tackle is likely third on OSU's O-lineman board but first on MSU's. The longer his recruitment plays out, the better it is for MSU. After a visit to Spartan Stadium earlier in the season, which Schofner described as both informative and awesome, the tea leaves looked promising for the Spartans. But with OSU in your back yard, young men in the Buckeye State are tempted to wait for the big in-state school to show them the love they want. I'd give MSU a slight lean at 51% for Schofner.

 

Finally, MSU is beginning to recruit well outside of the region. While the South has the most fertile ground for talent, the Spartans are hoping to harvest a prospect from the Garden State. New Jersey's Sherard Cadogan visited MSU last weekend and is reported to want to return. The TE/LB athlete is a strong student, both of the game of football and in the classroom, and would make a fine addition to the MSU program. Now that his officials are over, and he has settled on a final five, MSU sits in a fine position to make a Jersey splash. I give MSU a slightly better than 50% chance of landing Cadogan.