A Salmon joke, get it?
MSU picked up commitment No. 11 on Tuesday in Florida defensive tackle Devyn Salmon. For more on Salmon, check out the Welcome Aboard post. The Spartans probably only have four or so spots available left in this class, so the coaches might be picky. On to the roundup.
Spartans lead for Cali DT (Rivals) - Still looking for more defensive linemen, MSU could get an experienced one in JUCO DT Kyle Peko, the cousin of former Spartans Situpe and Domata. Kyle has offers from MSU, Texas A&M, Tennessee and Texas Tech, among others, coming from the same junior college of current MSU right tackle Fou Fonoti in California. The pair keep in touch, and MSU will certainly have a spot for Peko if he comes to East Lansing.
"I will graduate mid-year," he said. "To be honest, they (Michigan State) are at the top of the list. They are probably my number one as of right now."
Peko mention means another chance to watch this!
Adams still interested in Spartans (Scout) - When MSU was able to get the No. 1 DT in the country, Montravius Adams to East Lansing for the Spring Game, it seemed like nothing more than a sign that MSU was making good strides in Georgia. But Adams is still looking at MSU and will probably make the trip back up for the Notre Dame game. He plays at the same high school as current MSU receiver Keith Mumphrey, who was a big part of getting Adams up the first time. But Adams isn't planning on making a decision until after the season.
"Distance is not a factor and is not going to have anything to do with my decision," said Adams. "I just want to play football. For me to go to Michigan State, my mother is going to have to come up there and she is going to have to like it."
MSU linebacker commit Jon Reschke expressed his desire for Adams to join him.
We need Montravius Adams #SpartanNation #GoGreen
— Jon Reschke (@J_Reschke48) July 23, 2012
Again, I wouldn't plan on MSU getting Adams out of SEC country, but having the nation's No. 2 prospect (per 247) possibly make the trip all the way up to East Lansing multiple times really is a sign of MSU's inroads in Georgia.
MSU 'a perfect fit' for Williams (247) - Three-star Erie athlete Delton Williams remains an MSU lean, but he's planning on visiting Ohio State this weekend. If the Buckeyes offer, they'll join Nebraska and West Virginia as the other top schools. He knows everything he wants to about MSU, now it's seeing if anyone can pass the Spartans on his list.
"If I visit Michigan State anytime soon it's about committing there," Williams said. "The next time I visit Michigan State I will commit to them in front of the coaches and make it official. Once you hear ‘Delton's going to visit Michigan State' you might as well just say I'm committing there. I won't leave Michigan State without telling all the coaches I accept their offer and I'm committing there and ready to be a Spartan."
Spartans offer JUCO DT (Rivals) - Mark Dantonio hasn't been big on bringing in JUCO players, but he has made exceptions for defensive linemen. Aside from Peko, MSU also has offered Demetrius Campbell in California. Like Peko, Campbell would have two years of playing eligibility. He also has an impressive offer list, including Arkansas, Nebraska, Boise State and TCU.
Ball updates his interest in Michigan State (Scout) - The Penn State sanctions were sure to have a major effect on recruiting. Michigan picked up a former Penn State commit, while many have eliminated the Nittany Lions from their options. Three-star Ohio safety Marcus Ball is one of them.
"As a competitor, and I'm a competitor, when you take away them not being able to go to bowl games for four years, and that is when I would be there, I can't imagine putting your blood, sweat and tears into the game and not ever being eligible for a bowl game. So I don't think Penn State is in my Top Five right now."
He's left with a top four that includes MSU, Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Arizona State. He's been to MSU five times and is planning on taking an official. Ball comes from the same high school as B.J. Cunningham, who has been selling MSU to Ball.
What do PSU sanctions mean for MSU? (247) - Speaking of the Nittany Lions, Spartan Tailgate takes a look at some PSU commits that MSU could go after. Athlete Zach Bradshaw received an MSU offer shortly after the PSU news.
New Jersey lineman hopes to visit MSU (Rivals) - Three-star New Jersey offensive lineman Hunter Knighton hasn't earned an MSU offer yet, but is hoping to visit in August. MSU still needs some offensive linemen, but wants to make sure they're good fits. Knighton has offers from South Florida, Northwestern and Purdue, among others.
Bain opens his recruitment back up (Scout) - The Batman villain doesn't have any eligibility, but four-star Florida defensive tackle does (har har har). He committed to Florida State back in 2011, but has re-opened his recruitment, and FSU isn't in his top five. That list includes MSU, Alabama, Miami, LSU and USC. He tells Scout he plans to visit the four other than Miami, since it's close to home and he's been there plenty of times. Most believe he'll end up at The U, but, as with Adams, being high on a talented southern player's list is a good sign of things.
McDowell talks in-state schools (247) - Detroit defensive end Malik McDowell checks in as the No. 1 player in the state for the class of 2014. He's got plenty of early suitors, but is taking things slow, although he's kept in touch with MSU and U-M over the summer.
"Will Gholston, I think he's gonna be the best defensive end to go in the NFL Draft next year," McDowell said. "I like what they did with him because he's from Detroit too."
Top QB will soon visit Spartans (247) - 2014 Ohio quarterback DeShone Kizer was set to visit MSU on Wednesday. He hold offers from Nebraska, Illinois and others, but is hoping to get more interest from the likes of MSU, U-M, Ohio State and more.
Texas star talks Spartans offer (247) - 2014 four-star Texas safety Tony Brown already has about 20 offers, with MSU and USC being the latest. He doesn't know much about MSU yet.
Now, on to a question.
Regarding MSU recruiting, I am very curious to hear any bit of news about guard/tackle Riley Norman from Cadillac, MI. Two particular reasons for this -
1) Simply put, it's a position of need. By all accounts that I have read, Riley is big, strong, & athletic, and generally highly regarded by most recruiting sites..........potentially the sort of O-lineman that MSU has been desperately seeking over the last couple of years, and one of the few remaining highly ranked OL recruits in the midwest that hasn't already committed. The level of competition in high school is a potential concern, but the fact that Dantonio offered him on the spot when he camped at MSU prior to his junior year suggests that the coaching staff thinks highly of him as well (I also don't put too much stock in where a guy played his high school football, Max Bullough came out of tiny Traverse City St. Francis, and he seems to be getting along just fine - by now, we should be giving our coaches the benefit of the doubt when it comes to recognizing talent).
2) I actually grew up in Cadillac, and it goes without saying that it hasn't exactly been a hot bed of major college football talent over the years. The possibility of getting to cheer on one of our own wearing the green and white is a rare opportunity.
My understanding is that Norman's situation is somewhat unique, in that there is mutual interest between he and the Spartan staff, yet his talent and interest in throwing the shot put may ultimately result in him pursuing track and field at the next level instead of football. It seems as though there has been little to no buzz on him recently, despite O-line being a position of need in the class of 2013. Is he leaning away from football completely? Has MSU cooled on him due to concerns over his commitment and desire to play football at the next level? Or is he just taking the recruiting process slowly, and may still end up suiting up for the Spartans on Saturday afternoons?
Looking forward to your response.
Regards,
Spartan Fan Stuck in Badger Country
You pretty much summed it all up. Norman is one of the best in the state at the shot put, and track and field appears to have his heart. The most recent news on Norman I could find comes from Spartan Tailgate's Red Cedar Rumblings a month ago, where a source told them that Norman is finished with football after his senior season and everyone has pretty much given up on recruiting him for football. This is what many have expected for a while. It's another tough break for the Spartans, who have had trouble recruiting top offensive linemen, but you want the kid to do what makes him happy. Can't fault him for that.