Spartan Football's Next Great Signal Arrives on Campus as the Big 33 MVP: Tyler O’Connor!

The key member of any football recruiting class is the Quarterback. Without a talented signal caller, most recruiting classes are deemed failures. Luckily for Michigan State, securing Tyler O’Connor of Lima, Ohio allowed the Spartans to complete a highly touted 2012 recruiting class. O’Connor, a 6’3” pro-style Quarterback out of Lima Central Catholic High School was one of the top Quarterbacks in his class.

O’Connor landed the MVP award of the Big 33 all-star game held annually between Ohio and Pennsylvania. He continues to improve with each game he suits up for.

“It really was an awesome experience, not only all the football we got, but getting close to the host families,” explained O’Connor. “It really touched a lot of us
players. I was honored to be the MVP. I thought the coaches looked at me as more of a leader of our team and it really is an honor to be chosen as a leader
amongst leaders.”

As O’Connor kicks off his first summer in East Lansing, his Head Coach Mark Dantonio landed two verbal commitments from future targets for O’Connor, something that makes the Quarterback smile from ear to ear.

“The 2012 recruiting class, you can put that receiving corps up against any receiving corps in the country,” said O’Connor. “We match up well and we keep adding so it’s very exciting. I know we have the big guys up front who will do all the blocking so for me and some of the receivers we have to go make the plays.”

Since committing to MSU before his senior year, O’Connor has been looking forward to putting on his Spartans uniform. He can’t believe that the time has come for
him to be a member of the football program.

“The first half of the school year didn’t really fly by,” said O’Connor. “But that last half of the year, I think it was because football was over, it just flew by. All I was doing was working out, throwing and getting ready [for football] and now it’s finally here.”

O’Connor has also had an opportunity to immerse himself in the playbook, a responsibility he hasn’t taken lightly.

“One of the things I learned at the Elite 11 [football camp] was that learning the playbook is probably the biggest and most important thing to succeeding at the next level,” said O’Connor. “I’ve had most of the playbook since signing day and I would say I know about 75% of the offense and I feel really comfortable with it already.”

When O’Connor begins practicing full time with the Spartans, he will have the tall task of running the scout team offense against one of the top defenses in the country, a task he is looking forward to everyday.

“It will make all of us better so I’m really looking forward to it,” said O’Connor.