Breaking Down MSU's Loaded 2026 Recruiting Class
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One of the biggest reasons to still be optimistic about Michigan State's basketball future is the team's incoming recruiting class.
Prior to the opening of the transfer portal on Tuesday, Tom Izzo and the Spartans boasted the No. 3 high school recruiting class in the entire country, according to 247Sports. Duke is in first, while Michigan is in second.
Third is the highest mark for MSU since 2016, when the Spartans also finished third. That high school class boasted five-stars Miles Bridges and Joshua Langford, four-star prospect Nick Ward, and, oh yeah, four-star Cassius Winston.
If the 2026 class turns out like the 2016 one, it's safe to say fans in East Lansing will be pleased. Here's a quick breakdown on each of Michigan State's newest recruits:
C Ethan Taylor
Leading off the class is 7-foot-0 center Ethan Taylor, who is ranked 30th overall in the class of 2026 on the 247Sports Composite. A Shawnee, Kan., native, Taylor has most recently been playing at Link Academy in Branson, Mo., alongside fellow MSU signee Carlos Medlock Jr.
Bordering on five-star status, Taylor had a litany of options. He took official visits to Oregon, Oklahoma, Indiana, and Kansas, but Michigan State had the last say. Taylor visited during the Spartans' annual "Michigan State Madness" event, and he also crowd-surfed during the Izzone Campout. That atmosphere in East Lansing was enough to earn Taylor's commitment, which came on Nov. 14.
To start his career, I'd project to see Taylor in a bit of a reserve role. His potential is sky-high at seven feet tall with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, but it might take time for Taylor to fill out that frame and become ready for a starting role.
He was coming off the bench for Link Academy -- albeit one of the top high school teams in the nation -- during the recent Chipotle Nationals tournament. Assistant coach Saddi Washington has done a good job at helping develop MSU's bigs. Taylor will be a big, exciting project for him and the rest of the staff.
PG Carlos Medlock Jr.
Also at Link Academy is the 5-foot-11 Medlock, who was the first player to commit to the Spartans' 2026 class, doing so last July. He's currently slated at 52nd overall in the class and fifth among point guards. Other offers for Medlock came from Michigan, Iowa, Oklahoma State, and Creighton.
Medlock may have been playing out in Missouri, but he's an in-state prospect. He had previously attended Wayne Memorial High School, located in the Metro Detroit area. Adding him generates the exciting possibility of having Jeremy Fears Jr., Divine Ugochukwu, and Medlock at point guard for two years.
I'd currently expect Medlock to have a real role on the 2026-27 team. He was one of Link Academy's most trusted players, playing 63 of 64 possible minutes during the team's two games at Chipotle Nationals. Medlock scored 21 and 20 points against the tournament's 7-seeds and 2-seeds, respectively.
Medlock will have to work on his passing and turnovers a bit, but one thing that MSU has been lacking is a score-first point guard. Fears isn't that, Ugochukwu isn't that, and Denham Wojcik definitely wasn't that, either. He's a guy Izzo can turn to for buckets when Fears is taking a seat.
SG Jasiah Jervis
One of the biggest risers in the Spartans' class is 6-foot-4 shooting guard Jasiah Jervis, who hails from Archbishop Stepinac in White Plains, N.Y., which is not too far from New York City. Jervis was ranked in the 100s in July 2025, but he's shot up the rankings to 26th on the 247Sports Composite now, the highest mark in Michigan State's class.
Jervis, like Medlock, is another needed scoring option for Michigan State's backcourt. According to his profile on MaxPreps, he averaged 17.4 points per game during his senior season. During his four years of high school, Jervis shot 49% from the field, 38% from three, and 78% from the free-throw line.
Stepinac also went to Chipotle Nationals, but only played one game. In that battle against 8-seed SPIRE Academy, Jervis scored 20 points with seven rebounds, five assists, and a pair of steals.
The portal can take away players, but MSU's backcourt is pretty loaded at the moment. Fears, Medlock, and Ugochukwu can play point guard. At the two, you've got Jordan Scott, Ugochukwu again, Kur Teng, and now Jervis. The rotation, as of now, definitely seems to be more guard-heavy than this past season's.
PF Julius Avent
Rounding out the class is 6-foot-7 power forward Julius Avent, who is coming out of Bergen Catholic in Oradell, N.J. He's ranked 81st overall in the class on the 247Sports Composite, choosing Michigan State over Penn State, Seton Hall, Xavier, and Providence.
Avent's 7-foot-3 wingspan is what immediately stands out about him. Taylor's identical wingspan is large for his size (it's generally supposed to be about the same as your height), but Avent is five inches shorter.
Oftentimes, guys with those really long wingspans can struggle a bit as shooters. That won't be the case here. Avent made 134 three-pointers during his high school career, according to stats recorded by NJ.com, but his 66.4% mark from the free-throw line can definitely be improved upon.
There should be a role for Avent on this year's team with a thinner frontcourt ahead of him. MSU will need a center in this year's portal, and unless any current players either leave via the transfer portal or go pro in an at least semi-unexpected way, that center addition would bring Michigan State to the roster limit of 15.
A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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