Spartans Looking to Build on Recruiting Riches with Bright Defensive Tackle Prospects
When you recruit like Michigan State has in the past year and a half, you begin to earn the luxury of selectiveness. Reputations are built on success in the recruiting game, and the better your reputation, which is occasionally shaped as much by how you treat those players who don’t come to your school, the more talent will seek you out.
Recruiting can be rugged terrain for young men, who may draw many programs' interest early on, only to later face declining fortunes. But, like on the football field itself, competition rules. Boys truly become men learning to deal with the ups and downs of life, and recruiting is certainly an extension of those vicissitudes.
With star players already lined up in its recruiting queue, and many more looking at a resurgent Spartan program, MSU can take risks and wait out impact players who may carry more star quality, players who are drawing the interest of influential programs from around the region and country.
The scope is national at defensive tackle, and MSU is still in on Utah's Ricky Heiumli. A powerful lineman with interest from coast to coast, MSU made Heiumli's recent cut to narrow his list, which includes the likes of USC, UCLA, Utah and Cal, among others. Like William Gholston at defensive end, Heiumli would add an incredible star presence to the defensive tackle position, let alone an immediate boost in talent.
Bruce Gaston, from Chicago, is another star defensive tackle MSU can take a stab at with so much talent on the books for 2010 already. The interest for Gaston is centered in Big Ten country, with squads like MSU, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Notre Dame wanting the big young man. Gaston should develop into a star run stuffer with a frame that could potentially handle well over 300 pounds of bulk.
Closer to home, Carl Davis might not draw as many raves as other players do nationally, but there's probably no better prospect in the state of Michigan at D-tackle. The Sterling Heights native has passed Detroit Southeastern prospect Jonathan Hankins on many boards, and MSU is certainly a potential destination for the young man, along with Iowa, Wisconsin and a handful of others.
At such an important position with game changers not always abundant, MSU is in the position it wants to be in as the staff works to fill out an already fine 2010 recruiting class. When you live with riches, the prudent course of action is to build on your wealth and invest into those avenues which could potentially pay the highest dividends in the future. For State, building a strong portfolio of recruits has not been a simple process. And now that the program's fortunes are rising, hedging bets may not be the best move. Playing the market is the only way to go, and if you get in on the ground floor with superstar, especially at a position like defensive tackle, the profits may just develop into championships.
