Michigan State’s Recent Recruiting Addition Surges Program to New Heights
In this story:
Michigan State basketball is now 3-0 to begin the season. With wins against Colgate, San Jose State, and a number 14th-ranked Arkansas, Michigan State has had a great start to the season as they look towards New York City to play number nine-ranked Kentucky.
Michigan State isn't just winning on the court, but also off of it. Ethan Taylor has just committed to Michigan State and is the fourth commit in the 2026 class.
Taylor is a composite five-star player, ranked 23rd in the country and the second-best center in the class. Taylor will join his teammate at Link Academy, Carlos Medlock Jr, who plays point guard, but also Jasiah Jervis and Julius Avent. With Taylor's commitment, Michigan State now has the number one recruiting class for 2026, according to 247Sports.
With Tom Izzo having his best recruiting class since 2016, let's scout each player committed to Michigan State.
Ethan Taylor
Taylor is the highest-ranked commit the Spartans have in the 2026 class. Taylor is a legit seven foot tall center with great defensive ability and an underrated passing game. In the Michigan State offense, Taylor is a great lob threat to have and can be a good low post threat.
- 247Sports Adam Finkelstein said “Taylor is a rapidly improving big man with elite physical tools. Measuring at 7-feet with a 7-foot-3 wingspan and a solid frame that is only just beginning to fill-out, he has massive size. But he’s also a good athlete for his size who runs fluidly, gets off his feet powerfully, and even has some agility."
- "He can spin-off contact in the post, rise-up for emphatic power dunks, and be a consistent lob threat. Still, there is room for more physical dominance as he continues to harness his conditioning in order to consistently keep up with the pace of an up-tempo game and learns to be more proactively physical in order to dominate the paint to the extent he’s capable of.
Michigan State is set to lose both Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler to graduation. With the only remaining center set to return being Jesse McCulloch, Taylor can get starting minutes right.
Jasiah Jervis
Jervis is a natural scorer in the 2026 class. Coming out of White Plains, New York playing for Archbishop Stepinac, the 6-4 shooting guard has been a lethal go-to scorer for his team. During his junior season at Archbishop Stepinac, Jervis led his team in points with 16.2 points per game on 49% shooting from the field and 40% shooting from three point range.
When Jervis was asked by 247sports why he committed to Michigan State, Jervis stated "From the moment I got on campus, it felt like family. When I met the players, they welcomed me with open arms. When I met the staff, everybody loved me.
They have a great reputation, and the fan love is crazy. Coach Izzo was super passionate and involved throughout my whole recruitment process. They're a winning program, and I love to win, so we had something in common. I just felt it was a great fit for me."
Carlos Medlock Jr
Medlock may only be 5-11, but that doesn't deter him from playing his game one bit. Medlock is a quick, twitchy guard who uses his incredible ball-handling skills to control the game, either by getting past his defender or finding the open man and being an incredible floor general.
Defensively, Medlock is an absolute pest who has the speed and quickness to put full-court pressure on the opposing ball handler. Medlock is very similar to MSU’s own Jeremy Fears, and while he isn't built the same physically, he has the same pest mentality as Fears.
- “Medlock may be undersized, but he’s extremely talented and creative with the ball. He has total command of his handle, can play at full speed with complete control, and can break down defenders almost at will. 247 Sports recruiting analyst Adam Finkelstein said.
- “When the game slows down, he’s still almost impossible to corral as he’ll split ball-screens and create space for tough pull-ups or step-backs off the dribble”.
Julius Avent
Avent is the prototypical Tom Izzo forward, long and strong with amazing athleticism. Avent is, however, going to need to be developed more than Medlock, as he isn't a finished player just yet.
However, just like freshman forward Cam Ward and junior Coen Carr, Avent is an amazing athlete, as Avent is listed at 6-7 and 220 pounds with a measured 7-3 wingspan as well as an almost 9-foot standing reach.
Avent has a good offensive game as he can drive to the basket off the dribble and has shown an ability to knock down an open 3-point shot, as he averaged 38% from beyond the arc during the EYBL games.
Avent also has defensive potential as his frame allows him to guard centers. There are some concerts, as he isn't very quick, but the long wingspan can help with that if he ever switches onto a smaller guard.
Keep up with all our content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share your predictions for MSU's game against Penn State when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE. Don't forget to give us a follow on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.
