MSU Sets Spring Visit with Five-Star In-State 2028 WR

One elite recruit is going to be giving Michigan State a look soon.

According to a Thursday report by Jason Killop of On3, Harper Woods (Mich.) wide receiver Deandre Bidden will be visiting MSU on March 28. Bidden is a five-star recruit in the class of 2028 and is ranked fifth in the entire country for the class on the 247Sports Composite while also being ranked second among wideouts and first among those from Michigan.

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

Bidden's Interest in MSU Unclear

It will be interesting to see just how seriously Bidden takes the Spartans. Michigan State has helped produce plenty of good wide receivers, but it's really tough (even with in-state prospects) to compete with the likes of Ohio State, Oregon, Alabama, Texas, USC, Miami (FL), and Indiana --- all of which are schools Bidden has offers from.

Michigan State's new football coach Pat Fitzgerald pats his heart at the crowd in attendance for the Spartans basketball game against Iowa on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bidden's visit aligns with the Spartans' sixth spring practice out of 15 this year. MSU will first take the practice field next Tuesday and will practice on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays for five weeks until the team's "Spring Showcase" on April 18.

More Info on Bidden, Harper Woods

Deandre Bidden, Harper Woods wide receiver, soaks up the atmosphere of the game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. | Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Harper Woods is one school that Michigan State would be wise to try to entrench itself in. It's located just to the north of Detroit and is becoming a hotbed for talent. Bidden is teammates with 2027 four-star receiver Dakota Guerrant, who is also getting lots of attention from big-name schools. He's also teammates with 2028 defensive back prospect Jayden Evans, who is rated 140th overall in the class on the Rivals Industry Rating.

This will be a difficult battle for retained wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins. Wideouts have normally been a strength of the Spartans' since he joined the staff in 2020, but the lack of wins and successful seasons (not to the fault of Hawkins) since that point cannot have helped MSU's prestige on the recruiting trail.

New head coach Pat Fitzgerald wants to re-establish Michigan State as a real destination for elite, in-state talent, though. Bidden would be the type of recruit who can turn the tide and momentum if he chose to stick around his home state.

That's why this visit marks a massive opportunity for this new staff to make a nice impression. Bidden has talked to coaches of elite programs with more recent success. MSU needs to show that it runs a tight ship and sell its vision to Bidden about how it's going to get to a more advantageous spot. That's how the Spartans can take the most ground here.