OT Jack Conklin, Plainwell HS (MI) - (6-foot-6, 295 pounds)
Rankings: Rivals (NR), Scout (NR), 24/7 (NR)
Other notable offers: None
In between two signing classes, MSU just added another scholarship-worthy player for next season.
Offensive tackle Jack Conklin was planning on going to Fork Union Military Academy, but he grew an inch and added 15 pounds after football season, so the Spartans remained interested and eventually offered last week. Conklin quickly took the MSU coaches up on it. Scout.com first reported the news Thursday night.
"Really, after I told them I was going to Fork Union, they started getting more interested. I went over for visits and the coaching staff was one of the best I've been around on my visits. I get along with Coach Staten and Coach Dantonio is a great guy. They're just the best coaches I've been around. It's a family atmosphere and I felt at home there."
Conklin told Scout he's not sure if he will get a scholarship in the summer or January, but he has been assured he will get one. Whichever month he earns that will determine if his scholarship comes from 2012 or 2013. Conklin is an unranked prospect, but MLive says he had preferred walk-on offers from Michigan, Illinois and Western Michigan.
Based on the tape, he's an athletic guy with a lot of size, but probably needs to continue to add some more pounds. He looks like an absolute beast in this video, but he's not exactly going up against quality competition. However, you can't coach size, and he's got plenty of it, so he has potential. Scout says MSU might use the remaining 2012 scholarships on some walk-on guys currently battling it out, but Conklin will definitely have a scholarship by January.
Conklin's father was actually a preferred walk-on at U-M under Bo Schembechler. Conklin told MLive he took down all the U-M stuff in his room recently and replaced it with MSU stuff. His father did the same thing:
"It's funny, I didn't have much in the way of green and white, but I sure made that happen in a store (on MSU's campus). The maize and blue is in moth balls for a few years at least."
You can never have too many linemen. All in all, MSU added another big body on the offensive line with a lot of upside.