What Jonathan Smith, MSU Football Target Charles Taplin was Looking For on Recent Official Visit

The Michigan State Spartans are targeting three-star receiver Charles Taplin of Red Oak, Texas. In this Spartan Nation exclusive, Taplin opens up about what he was looking for when he took a trip to East Lansing for an official visit.

Nov 24, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; A Michigan State Spartans helmet sits on a bench during the second half game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports | David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports

2025 three-star wide receiver Charles Taplin visited Michigan State on the weekend of June 7, along with notable Spartan targets such as the most recent commit to the Green and White, Drew Nichols.

Taplin, referred to as a "speed receiver" by 247Sports, has 10 offers and will be officially visiting Washington State on June 14 and Tulsa on the 19th.

Taplin told Spartan Nation that he went into his visit looking for a place to potentially call home. The distance from where he resides in Red Oak, Texas, to East Lansing is over roughly 1,100 miles. Home away from home would be crucial.

"What I am really looking for is, I'm going to be some place for the next three years of my life, so I gotta see if it's home, if I'm going to be taken care of," Taplin said. "The other thing that stood out to me is Coach [Courtney] Hawkins, he knows what he's talking about. He took multiple people to the NFL, he's been to the NFL himself. [Michigan State] also runs a pro-style offense, so it could develop me, get me to the league."

Taplin's hosts were members of the Spartan receiver core, such as Grant Calcagno, Montorie Foster Jr., Aziah Johnson and Jaron Glover. The receiver group shared a valuable perspective to Taplin about the Spartan program, giving him insight into the Green and White.

"They said that definitely that this new coaching staff coming in they feel like the culture is definitely getting better, and that's why they feel a change coming," Taplin said. "What I really got was trust in Coach Hawkins as a coach, just trusting him to develop you into a better receiver every day."

Taplin has good length and speed, along with shiftiness when he has the ball. However, his weight is something he is looking to add to for the college level. He is climbing to the 170-pound mark, but it is a tough road to hoe for Taplin as an athlete with such high-intensity training. He said he is consistent with his meals and he expects the results to come soon.

"I'm trying to get to 175 by the end of this summer," Taplin said. "I just got a fast metabolism, for real. I do a lot of conditioning, so I guess I just be losing weight like that, then trying to gain it back. It's a little hard."

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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