MSU Makes Latest Recruiting List for 5-Star Offensive Tackle

The Spartans are one of the teams in consideration for an elite in-state prospect.

April 18, 2026; East Lansing, Mich.; Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald watches the action going on during MSU's "Spring Showcase" at Spartan Stadium. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

One of the best prospects from the state of Michigan, regardless of class, is considering Michigan State.

5-star offensive tackle Antijuan Wilkes Jr. announced via Rivals on Thursday that he was down to 12 schools. MSU was on the list, along with plenty of other elite programs: Georgia, Miami (FL), Missouri, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Ohio State, Michigan, Florida, LSU, Oregon, and Alabama.

NEWS: Five-Star OT Antijuan “Shaq” Wilkes Jr. is down to 12 Schools, he tells me for @Rivals

The 6’7 280 OT from Detroit, MI is ranked as the No. 6 Recruit (No. 1 OT) in the 2028 Rivals300https://t.co/gBwRH7lOYm pic.twitter.com/285WSY7dFE

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 4, 2026

Basics on Wilkes' Recruitment

Wilkes is a member of the class of 2028, so he's still got a way to go before it's time to make a decision. 5-star recruits are 5-star recruits, though. Wilkes, who goes to Cass Tech in Detroit, is currently ranked 28th overall in his class, second among offensive tackles, and second among those from Michigan on the 247Sports Composite.

Michigan State has known about Wilkes for some time. The previous staff offered him in October 2025, during the middle of his sophomore year. MSU was the earliest offer among the 12 teams left that Wilkes is considering, going off the timeline of events listed on 247Sports.

MSU's Chances at Wilkes

Sep 7, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; A detailed view of Michigan State Spartans helmet on the field before the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

It's going to take a massive effort for the Spartans to land Wilkes, even though he's an in-state prospect. Michigan State hasn't landed a 5-star recruit in football since 2014 (Malik McDowell). Pat Fitzgerald would not only have to sell Wilkes on being developed the right way in East Lansing, when other programs have sent more offensive linemen to the league, but also be comparable in NIL.

One reason to be optimistic is that Wilkes has taken a few unofficial visits to East Lansing in the past. Rivals' visit tracker says he visited during the previous staff's reign in March, September, and October 2025. The more specific dates for the last two visits line up with the Spartans' thrilling win against Boston College and the humiliating blowout loss to UCLA.

Michigan State Spartans head football coach Pat Fitzgerald points while introducing himself to the crowd at a men's basketball game against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. Fitzgerald was officially hired by MSU on Monday. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Cass Tech is one of the first schools MSU wants to have a positive relationship with, too. The Technicians are consistently among the best teams in the state. They reached the Division 1 state title game in 2025, but lost to Detroit Catholic Central at the very end.

Recruiting Detroit as a whole at a high level is an absolute necessity to getting Michigan State back to where it wants to be. It's more complex than just going after Wilkes and other Cass Tech prospects, but it would make a heck of a statement.

Michigan State mascot Sparty carries a flag during the Spartans' game against UCLA on Oct. 11, 2025. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI