Mel Tucker, Michigan State Football Land Three Top Recruits in Five Days
East Lansing, MI— While it took almost two months for Mel Tucker to land his first commitment, the Spartans have picked up three commitments in the past five days. Oak Park (MI) 2021 running back Davion Primm committed to the Spartans on Tuesday and East Lansing (MI) 2021 offensive lineman Ethan Boyd made his pledge to Michigan State on Thursday. The Spartans then landed their first out-of-state commitment on Saturday afternoon from Miami (FL) Gulliver Prep 2021 defensive back Gabe Nealy.
With Michigan State’s first two commitments for the 2021 class now in place with the Spartans, fans are starting to get a better idea of how Michigan State is going to operate on the recruiting trail and look on the field in the Tucker era.
While the Spartans have rolled out offers to recruits across the country, Michigan State has also made recruiting the state of Michigan a priority, and that has shown in landing two in-state recruits, including one from their backyard in Boyd.
The Spartans extended an offer to Primm Monday and didn’t take long to make his decision as he committed to Michigan State on Tuesday.
A big reason behind Primm’s decision to quickly jump on the offer from Michigan State could do with the fact that he was recruited and offered by Colorado when Tucker and running backs coach William Peagler were in Boulder.
Primm is 6-foot-1, 205 pounds has the look of being an every-down, multi-dimensional running back that the Spartans have had over the years. Primm can run between the tackles and make a move to the outside. He is also a definite pass-catcher out of the backfield.
Before committing to Michigan State, Primm fielded offers from Colorado, Iowa State, Akron, Western Michigan, Ball State, Kent State, Temple, Bowling Green, and Toledo.
Since Tucker and offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic arrived in East Lansing, the Spartans have targeted big, physical players to play offensive tackle, and Boyd fits that bill.
Boyd, who is 6-foot-7, 290 pounds, is a prototypical offensive tackle, who has the length, physicality, and athleticism needed to play offensive tackle in the Big Ten. Boyd, who is one of the best offensive linemen in the state of Michigan, has proven to be a strong run blocker and good in pass protection as well.
Before the NCAA imposed a recruiting dead period due to COVID-19, Boyd was able to take a visit and get on campus to meet with the new staff on March 13th, and three days later, on March 16th, Boyd picked up an offer from the Spartans.
Along with his Michigan State offer, Boyd also held offers from Indiana, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Minnesota, Vanderbilt, and a handful of MAC programs.
Nealy was set to take a virtual visit of Michigan State with the Spartan coaching staff on Saturday and ended up announcing his commitment to the Spartans on Saturday afternoon, putting an exclamation point on a big week for Michigan State on the recruiting trail.
A cornerback that has elite size (6-foot-4) and coverage skills, Nealy, who described himself as a ‘unicorn’ during an interview with Spartan Nation, is an impressive cornerback, who has the athleticism and versatility to play any position in the secondary but is slated to play cornerback for the Spartans.
After taking a virtual visit to Michigan State on Saturday, Nealy quickly announced his decision to commit to Michigan State, citing his strong relationship with cornerbacks coach Harlon Barnett and defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton as well as his conversations with Tucker.
With Nealy committed to Michigan State, expect to see the Spartans continue to recruit the sunshine state hard as several more top out-of-state targets in the 2021 and 2022 classes are from Florida.
Boyd’s teammate, 2021 wide receiver Andrel Anthony Jr., and Primm’s teammate, 2021 offensive lineman Rayshaun Benny, are two more top in-state targets for the Michigan State coaching staff moving forward.
Now that the Spartans have their first three commitments on board at Michigan State, the Spartans figure to be in the mix for a handful of other in-state targets that the Spartans prioritized early on. Michigan State is also in on several other out-of-state recruits, but will likely play the waiting game as many hope to get on campus after the recruiting dead period is lifted.
For all of the latest news on Michigan State’s newest football recruits and the Spartan football program, stay tuned to Spartan Nation!
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