Under-the-Radar Targets For MSU in the Football Mecca of Georgia
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The latest Super Bowl tells the story of which states produce the best football talent.
Florida had 13 players in the game, Texas had 11, 10 were from California, and in fourth-place -- Georgia, with seven. For Georgia, it might not be quantity, but there sure is a whole bunch of quantity.
Michigan State knows this first hand; one of the greatest Spartans in program history, Thorpe Award-winning cornerback Darqueze Dennard, is from Jeffersonville. To say he wasn't a highly-touted prospect is an understatement.
Some rated him as a two-star. As Michigan State athletics put it in his Spartans Hall of Fame bio, "All Darqueze Dennard needed was an opportunity. His recruiting profile on various national websites did not even have a headshot of him, let alone a national, state or position ranking."
A telling sign about the talent in the Peach State. One respected coach told me that a Georgia three-star is often better than four-star prospects elsewhere.
Tom Lemming, a foremost authority for high school football recruiting and host of the "Lemming Report" on CBS Sports Network, is taking a swing down south and has stopped in Georgia.
He highlighted some under-the-radar recruits on X, formerly Twitter, that deserve a look, and Jonathan Smith and the Spartans would be served well to do just that.
Who are some key names the Spartans can target?
2027 KJ Green, EDGE, Stone Mountain Stephenson
"One of my 2027 all Americans ... [6-foot-5, 235-pound] defensive end," Lemming wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Remarkably athletic, very explosive coming off the ball shows good use of hands and exceptional lateral ability. No doubt one of the nations premier pass rushers."
2027 Jordan Christie, WR, Southwest DeKalb
"Super impressive on film," wrote Lemming. "He's explosive off the line, with great hands, excellent footwork and can get in and out of his breaks quickly. ... [Four-star-plus] talent."
2028 Seven Rashad, WR, Mountain View
"Caught 56 passes for close to 1,000 yards as a freshman," wrote Lemming. "Good length, strong hands and 4.5 speed. ... Already a [four-star-plus] talent."
In the case of the two wide receivers, Coach Courtney Hawkins could make a big difference in their recruitment, should Michigan State pursue.
Michael France is Sports Illustrated's Michigan State recruiting beat writer, covering all things Big Ten recruiting for Spartan Nation. Be sure to follow him on Twitter/X@michaelfrancesi for exclusive Spartans recruiting coverage.
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