Michigan State News & Notes: Josiah Scott impressing at Jaguars camp, Cody White signs with the Broncos and much more

If this were a normal year, we would be ramping for the season opener between the Michigan State Spartans and the Northwestern Wildcats in less than two weeks, and the majority of the content here on The Only Colors would be dominated by that event. However, this is anything but a normal year and we won’t see any Michigan State football this fall.

So, instead, to tide you over as best we can, here is a running list of relevant news and notes regarding Spartans athletics over the past week or so, including articles from TOC and various sources from around the internet. Check it out below:

• Since taking over head coaching duties at Michigan State, Mel Tucker landed his first Composite four-star recruit in 2021 New Jersey offensive guard Geno VanDeMark, who gave his verbal commitment this weekend. We have that story covered here.

• Colton Pouncy of the Athletic has an in-depth look on Michigan State’s recruitment of VanDeMark, and gives an idea into what the Spartans are getting in the offensive lineman (subscription required).
• The Spartans also recently landed the verbal commitment of 2021 three-star defensive end Alex Okelo, out of Nashville, Tennessee.
• As some of you know, and most of you probably do not, I am a huge Jacksonville Jaguars fan and also write for SB Nation’s Big Cat Country. I keep close tabs on what is going on at Jaguars training camp, and one name that has consistently been mentioned in terms of players who are standing out is Josiah Scott, the former Michigan State cornerback. He was named by both BCC’s Demetrius Harvey and Jaguar Report’s John Shipley as a player who has impressed thus far. UPDATE: Scott once again was a playmaker at training camp today.
• The Denver Broncos have signed former Michigan State wide receiver Cody White. He was waived by the New York Giants on Aug. 16.
• The NCAA Division 1 Council recently voted to give all fall athletes — regardless of how many games they play this season — an extra year of eligibility. The NCAA will allow for an increase in roster sizes, at least temporarily, as well. We also found out programs who are not competing this fall, such as Michigan State, can operate on a 12-hour per week practice and training schedule through at least early October.
• It’s “been a while” since Tucker has had a football-less fall. The Detroit News has a good story on how the head coach is adjusting to the extremely strange situation.
• With the Big Ten pushing toward a spring season, could a winter start in January actually be feasible instead? It’s possible, but there are a lot of moving parts.
• Michigan State University announced last week that it will move to a completely online/remote instruction model for its fall semester classes (with a couple of exceptions). While it is, in my opinion, the right decision from a safety standpoint, students are now dealing with chaos in terms of housing plans. MSU President Dr. Samuel L. Stanley explained that decision in more detail, via Inside Higher Ed.
• Michigan State men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo recently spoke to the Big Ten Network’s Andy Katz about a variety of topics, including a bit of a 2020-2021 MSU basketball outlook. You can watch that below:

• Speaking of college basketball (both men’s and women’s), the NCAA expects to have a decision on the start of the season by mid-September, and a contingency plan in place if the season needs to be delayed.
• Jonathan Givony of ESPN recently included MSU point guard Cassius Winston in the first round of his mock draft, and MSU forward Xavier Tillman Sr. in the second round. Spartan Nation covers the ESPN+ article here.
• Check out our scouting report on the newest commit to join Michigan State basketball, Jaden Akins.
• Michigan State basketball’s Joshua Langford has been selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Player Development Coalition.
• Former Michigan State basketball player Kenny Goins inked a deal with Kolossos Rhodes in Greece. Goings averaged 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game with Pallacanestro Trapani in Italy last year.
• The Associated Press released its preseason football poll, which included schools that are not playing in the fall. Unsurprisingly, Michigan State didn’t receive a single vote:

As always, keep up with The Only Colors for all breaking and recent news related to the Michigan State Spartans.