Spartan Pupdate is casting a wide net

The Spartans have been putting defensive backs in the NFL year in and year out under Mark Dantonio -- especially cornerbacks -- which hasn't gone unnoticed on the recruiting trail.

Recently, the Spartans extended an offer to Dwight Morrow (Englewood, N.J.) athlete Juwann Winfree.

"I know it's a good school and a nice program, but I don't know a lot about it," Winfree told me. "I know they have had some good players go out of there, like the running back, Le'Veon Bell, and Keshawn Martin with the Texans and a couple of their cornerbacks, too. It's a great school, great program and they play some good football."

MSU is one of Winfree's latest offers, on his current list of 20, and it came as a bit of a surprise.

"Coach Narduzzi came to my school and offered me," he said. "I was excited and surprised, I hadn't talked to them in a while but they said I was very high on their list."

Winfree, who stands 6-foot-2, sees similarities between his style and the way MSU uses their cornerbacks.

"I know they do a lot of man coverage," Winfree said, "and a had a good cornerback last year in Johnny Adams. He was big on their defense. Their cornerbacks aren't small, either, so that's kind of like me with my size and how I play."

Winfree added that his ability as a wide receiver aids him in his coverage as a cornerback, something MSU likes about his game.

"(Coach Narduzzi) said they liked me as a playmaker on both sides of the ball and also mentioned the possibility of playing both sides of the ball there."

Winfree, who said he wants to major in sports management, currently holds 20 offers and said he plans on making a decision around signing day. As for a visit to East Lansing, he said "isn't sure when, but he would like to."

-- Michigan State offered five players at Stephenson (Stone Mountain, Ga.) High School this week, including 2014 cornerback Jared Tucker.

Tucker, who said he didn't know much about MSU, has a new program to research after finding out he got an offer through his high school coach Monday.

"I was surprised," he told me. "I knew they were looking and liked me, but I was expecting an offer yet. I was happy and excited and I'm ready to know more about the program now."

He said that he had been in contact with Coach Ron Burton on Facebook back and forth a few times. Now that an offer is in the picture, he would like to make a visit sometime in the future.

"I am going to talk to the coach (Burton) and try to get up there this summer," Tucker said. "I would like to talk to the head coach and my position coach up there."

MSU also offered Tucker's teammates and fellow 2014 recruits safety Cameron Glenn and offensive tackle Tyler Jonesmichigan.

"Cam committed to Wake Forest, and I think he is 100 percent to them," Tucker said. "Me and Tyler have talked about going to the same school, so if it happens, it happens, but if not, that's cool."

Tucker said ideally he will cut down his list of options between late May and early June.

More

Michigan State closing in on Rochester Adams' Matt Sokol (Detroit News) - Scout.com's Allen Trieu talks with Sokol, and looks at some of the many news offers that have gone out.

New Offers (5/3/13-5/9/13)

2014

Defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, Virginia Beach, Va. (Ocean Lakes)

Defensive end Keyon Brown, Wauchula, Fla. (Hardee)

Linebacker Anthony Davis, Tampa, Fla. (Chamberlain)

Linebacker Chris Frey, Columbus, Ohio (Upper Arlington)

Safety Darrion Owens, Orange Park, Fla. (Oakleaf)

Safety Jared Wangler, Warren, Mich. (De La Salle Collegiate)

Cornerback Qua Searcy, Barnesville, Ga. (Lamar County Comprehensive)

Safety Cameron Glenn, Stone Mountain, Ga. (Stephenson)

Safety Jared Tucker, Stone Mountain, Ga. (Stephenson)

Offensive tackle Casey Tucker, Chandler, Ariz. (Hamilton)

Offensive tackle Tyler Jones, Stone Mountain, Ga. (Stephenson)

Offensive guard Isaiah Wynn, Saint Petersburg, Fla. (Lakewood)

Wide receiver Isaiah Ford, Jacksonville, Fla. (Trinity Christian Academy)

Wide receiver Armanti Foreman, Texas City, Texas (Texas City)

Wide receiver Dionte Sykes, Gilbert, Ariz. (Chandler)

Wide receiver Will Dawkins, Vero Beach, Fla. (Vero Beach)

Tight end Matt Sokol, Rochester, Mich. (Adams)

Tight end Gaelin Elmore, Somerset, Wisc. (Somerset)

Running back Dacorius Law, Haines City, Fla. (Haines City Senior)

Athlete Jeffery Farrar, Upland, Calif. (Upland)

2015

Linebacker Cecil Cherry, Frostproof, Fla. (Frostproof)

Linebacker Jeffery Holland, Jacksonville, Fla. (Trinity Christian Academy)

Cornerback Kevin Toliver, Jacksonville, Fla. (Trinity Christian Academy)

Wide receiver Christian Kirk, Scottsdale, Ariz. (Saguaro)

Wide receiver Dexter Neal, Stone Mountain, Ga. (Stephenson)

Tight end Garrett Williams, Orlando, Fla. (The First Academy)

Running back Natereace Strong, East Saint Louis, Ill. (East St Louis)

2016

Cornerback Khalil Ladler, Stone Mountain, Ga. (Stephenson)