In-person recruiting opens back up as NCAA lifts dead period

In March of 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA Division 1 Council implemented a ban on all in-person recruiting in the form of a “dead period” on the recruiting calendar. Now, after several extensions of that ruling and 15 months later, on-campus recruiting has opened back up throughout the FBS as of June 1.

The recruiting calendar is currently in a “quiet period” for football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball. According to the NCAA, a “quiet period” is defined as the following:

“A quiet period is that period of time when it is permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts only on the member institution’s campus. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts or evaluations may be made during the quiet period.”

What that means, more simply, is that programs can recruit players who are unofficially or officially taking visits to that school’s campus. Programs are also allowed to have prospect camps on campus, to help evaluate recruits. For Michigan State’s football program, the Spartans are planning camp dates for June 6, June 13, June 27 and July 25 (pending COVID-19 protocols and NCAA rules and regulations).

If no changes are made to the recruiting calendar, the “quiet period” runs through June 27. Then another “dead period” (no in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on or off campus and no official or unofficial visits by recruits allowed) that runs from June 28 through July 24 before another “quiet period” begins on July 25.

In addition to the camps, head coach Mel Tucker and the rest of the Michigan State staff have wasted no time, as several recruits have already scheduled unofficial and official visits to the East Lansing campus starting on Tuesday.

Many of MSU’s top targets will visit East Lansing in June. Here are the players who are scheduled to come to campus for official visits in the next few weeks, so far, according to 247Sports:

Friday, June 4:

• Nicco Marchiol, quarterback, Hamilton High School (Chandler, Arizona — Marchiol was previously committed to Florida State)
• Alex VanSumeren, defensive tackle, Garber High School (Essexville, Michigan)
• Jack Nickel, tight end, Milton High School (Alpharetta, Georgia)
• Chase “Simba” Carter, defensive lineman, Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
• Jaylen Lewis, cornerback, Haywood High School, (Brownsville, Tennessee)
• Braden Miller, offensive tackle, Eaglecrest High School (Aurora, Colorado)
• Kevin Winston, athlete, DeMatha Catholic High School (Hyattsville, Maryland)
• Shannon Blair, athlete, Knoxville West High School (Knoxville, Tennessee)

Friday, June 11:

• Curlee Thomas, defensive lineman, Nolan Catholic High School (Fort Worth, Texas)
• Caleb Coley, cornerback, Houston County High School (Warner Robins, Georgia)
• Audavion Collins, cornerback, Newton High School (Covington, Georgia)
• Alessandro Lorenzetti, offensive tackle, The Loomis Chaffee School, (Windsor, Connecticut)
• Michael Masunas, tight end, Hamilton High School (Chandler, Arizona)

Friday, June 18:

• Jaron Glover, wide receiver, Riverview High School (Sarasota, Florida)
• Owen Anderson, tight end, Hun School (Princeton, New Jersey — Anderson is currently committed to Illinois)

Friday, June 25:

• Kiyaunta Goodwin, offensive tackle, Charlestown High School (Charlestown, Indiana — Goodwin is currently committed to Kentucky)
• Trevon Howard, safety, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)
• Aliou Bah, offensive tackle, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida — Bah is currently committed to Florida State)
• Ade Willie, cornerback, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)
• Shawn Miller, wide receiver, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)
• Andrew Chamblee, offensive tackle, Maumelle High School (Maumelle, Arkansas — Chamblee is currently committed to Arkansas)
• Kevin Thomas, wide receiver, Neumann Goretti High School (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• Katin Houser, quarterback, St. John’s Bosco (Bellflower, California — Houser is currently committed to Boise State)
• Jared Badie, linebacker, Oswego East High School (Oswego, Illinois)

Additionally, MSU will welcome several unofficial visitors this week, including 2022 offensive linemen commits Gavin Broscious and Ashton Lepo, who were on campus on Tuesday. To keep up with other prospects coming to campus, Justin Thind of 247Sports has an unofficial visits tracker.

While not every prospect listed above will become a Spartan, these are certainly the names to watch. Expect a flurry of commitment activity for Michigan State throughout the month of June.

Don’t forget about the men’s basketball team:

As for the men’s basketball program, Tom Izzo and his staff will also be busy trying to lock in some of their top targets. Four-star power forward Tarris Reed Jr. is expected to be on campus today (June 1) for an official visit, according to Stock Risers. Meanwhile, four-star shooting guard Jaden Schutt will take his official visit on June 18 and June 19. Additionally, Isaac Traudt, another four-star big man, will visit to MSU on the same weekend as Schutt.

Tre Holloman has been offered by Michigan State in both football and basketball. Holloman, a point guard on the hardwood and a cornerback on the gridiron, is expected to visit campus this week, according to 247Sports. Other names to watch for Michigan State men’s basketball recruiting interests include Ty Rodgers, Jalen Washington and Kijani Wright, among others.