Michigan State Suffers 1st Decommitment Since Mel Tucker's Notice of Termination

The Spartans' 2024 class took a hit this weekend with the decommitment of a three-star defensive back prospect...

Author:
Matthew Lounsberry
Publish date:
Sep 24, 2023 5:35 PM EDT

In this story:

It was inevitable once the allegations of sexual harassment involving head coach Mel Tucker became public knowledge.

Michigan State football has suffered the first decommitment from its 2024 recruiting class since that news broke, when three-star Tampa (Fla.) Tech athlete Camren Campbell announced that he was re-opening his recruitment late Saturday night.

"First, I would like to thank God and the entire MSU staff for giving me an opportunity to showcase my talent at such a high level," Campbell wrote in a social media post. "I have the utmost respect for the MSU staff and thank you for the hospitality and care you've shown me and my family. With that being said, I'll be opening back up my recruitment to explore my academic and athletic future."

Campbell originally commitment to Michigan State back on June 14. The Spartans were the first FBS program to offer the 6-foot, 163-pounder out of Tampa, when MSU secondaries coach and current acting head coach Harlon Barnett extended an offer in April of this year.

Campbell, who was an overlooked and unranked prospect at the time, quickly received 11 more scholarship offers after Barnett's, but Michigan State benefitted from being the first high-major program in on the Florida native's recruitment. Campbell then quickly moved up various recruiting rankings, before settling in as a three-star prospect ranked No. 873 overall in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.

An athlete who has played on both sides of the ball in high school, Michigan State recruited Campbell to play defensive back in East Lansing. He's now up to 15 offers from FBS programs, including the likes of Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Minnesota, Louisville, Kansas State, Kansas and Boston College.

With the uncertainty surrounding Michigan State's football program in the wake of Tucker's suspension, followed by the university's notice of termination, Campbell may be just the first of MSU's committed prospect who will seek alternative options.

Four-star Mount Pleasant (Mich.) offensive lineman Andrew (A.J.) Dennis has seen interest grow from other programs since the story involving Tucker broke in the late hours of Sept. 9. Over the last two weeks, Dennis has received scholarship offers from Purdue, Penn State, Stanford, Nebraska, Auburn and Georgia Tech, but remains committed to the Spartans as of now.

Dennis (No. 419 overall) is considered the fourth-highest ranked prospect in Michigan State's 2024 class according to 247's team composite rankings.

Another prospect who is surely hearing for other potential suitors is four-star River Rouge (Mich.) wide receiver Nick Marsh, who originally committed to MSU way back on July 31, 2022 before de-committing earlier this year in March and eventual re-committing to the Spartans in July.

Marsh seems solid in that commitment for now, and has made multiple trips to East Lansing already this fall. Still, Michigan State's top overall committed prospect (No. 127) will continue to draw outside interest up until National Signing Day. Marsh recently picked up an offer from the hottest show in all of college football — Deion Sanders' Colorado Buffaloes — on Sept. 18. He chose MSU over Penn State, Kansas and Pittsburgh back on July 7.

With the decommitment of Campbell, Michigan State's 2024 recruiting class fell to No. 55 overall in the country. The Spartans' class also ranks 17th out of 18 Big Ten Conference programs with the additions of USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon.

Michigan State Verbal Commitments, Class of 2024

Four-star WR Nick Marsh; River Rouge High School; River Rouge, Mich.; No. 127 nationally, No. 20 Wide Receiver, No. 3 in state of Michigan
Four-star RB Anthony Carrie; Carrollwood Day High School; Tampa, Fla.; No. 294 nationally, No. 22 running back, No. 40 in state of Florida
Four-star S Reggie Powers III; Centerville High School; Dayton, Ohio; No. 396 nationally, No. 36 Safety, No. 16 in state of Ohio
Four-star IOL Andrew Dennis; Mt. Pleasant High School; Mount Pleasant, Mich.; No. 419 nationally, No. 26 Interior Offensive Lineman, No. 8 in state of Michigan
Three-star CB Jaylen Thompson; Riverdale High School; Murfreesboro, Tenn.; No. 444 nationally, No. 36 Cornerback, No. 10 in state of Tennessee
Three-star CB Justin Denson; La Salle Academy; Providence, R.I.; No. 627 nationally, No. 55 Cornerback, No. 1 in state of Rhode Island
Three-star OT Mercer Luniewski; Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy; Cincinnati, Ohio; No. 753 nationally, No. 58 Offensive Tackle, No. 28 in state of Ohio
Three-star ATH Syair Torrence; Christian Brothers Academy; Syracuse, N.Y.; No. 963 nationally, No. 124 wide receiver, No. 7 in state of New York
Three-star LB Jadyn Walker; Portage Northern High School; Portage, Mich.; No. 1106 nationally, No. 96 Linebacker, No. 19 in state of Michigan
Three-star QB Henry Hasselbeck; Xaverian Brothers High School; Westwood, Mass.; No. 1186 nationally, No. 66 quarterback, No. 6 in state of Massachusetts
Three-star IOL Logan Bennett; St. Frances Academy; Baltimore, Mary.; No. 1346 nationally, No. 103 Interior Offensive Lineman, No. 38 in state of Maryland
Three-star IOL Charlton Luniewski; Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy; Cincinnati, Ohio; No. 1385 nationally, No. 109 Interior Offensive Lineman, No. 59 in state of Ohio