MSU Reaches Final Five for Elite In-State Tight End

Michigan State football is continuing to push itself with the top recruits the state has to offer.

On Thursday morning, 4-star Detroit Country Day tight end Anthony Cartwright III announced via On3 that he was down to five schools in his recruitment. MSU made the cut, alongside heavy-hitters Michigan, Miami (FL), Oregon, and LSU. He's set to commit on June 28.

Cartwright, who stands at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, is ranked 331st in the class of 2027 on the Rivals Industry Ranking. That puts him 16th among tight ends and eighth among all Michiganders. He's got four-star ratings from Rivals and ESPN, while 247Sports individually still has Cartwright as a three-star.

Some notable schools that were left off Cartwright's list include Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Nebraska, Ole Miss, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC, Washington, and Wisconsin.

NEWS: Four-Star TE Anthony Cartwright III is down to 5 schools, he tells me for @Rivals

Cartwright, the No. 1 TE in Michigan, is set to announce his commitment June 28thhttps://t.co/K4BXHeEJDx pic.twitter.com/YN9YpBhKfq
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 30, 2026

More on MSU's Pursuit of Cartwright

Michigan State has had its eye on Cartwright for quite some time. MSU offered him in October 2023, back when Harlon Barnett was the interim head coach and Ted Gilmore was the Spartans' tight ends coach.

The Spartans' interest has remained through two head coaching changes, though current TEs coach Brian Wozniak, who followed Jonathan Smith from Oregon State to Michigan State before the 2024 season, was retained by Pat Fitzgerald.

April 18, 2026; East Lansing, Mich.; Michigan State Spartans head coach Pat Fitzgerald patrols the field during his team's "Spring Showcase" at Spartan Stadium. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Wozniak and the staff will have one more chance to impress Cartwright before he commits in June. According to a report by Rivals' Allen Trieu, Cartwright will take an official visit to MSU from May 29-31.

There isn't necessarily a clear leader at the moment for Cartwright's eventual commitment. Michigan has one prediction on Rivals, but the submitted guess is more than a year old. No crystal balls have been submitted on 247Sports at the time this article is being written.

MSU's Current 2027 Class

MSU — 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

The Spartans' 2027 class currently holds seven prospects and is without a tight end. Michigan State just recently picked up one commitment from three-star EDGE rusher Jack Schuler on Thursday as well. Cartwright would be MSU's top commitment of the cycle and the team's second four-star recruit.

There is going to be a need for a tight end this cycle, whether it's Cartwright or somebody else. Michigan State is set to see tight ends Carson Gulker and Kai Rios depart the program next offseason due to the exhaustion of their respective eligibility.

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