Trieu: Michigan State recruiting top uncommitted targets
Michigan State’s regular season is now complete and the Spartan coaches are hitting the road as the contact period in recruiting opens. All of their efforts lead toward Dec. 19, the first day of the early signing period.
Here are a few names to know among MSU’s uncommitted 2019 targets.
The Spartans do not have a tight end in the class and Dayton (Ohio) Trotwood-Madison’s Justin Stephens and Ventura (Calif.) College’s Travis Koontz are two targets who hold Michigan State offers. Stephens, a 6-foot-7 basketball player, has already been to campus. Koontz has not, but has stated that he will look at setting up a visit to East Lansing in December.
Some schools are recruiting Massillon (Ohio) Washington’s Tre’von Morgan as a tight end because of his 6-foot-6, 215-pound frame, but his recent Michigan State offer was reportedly as a wide receiver. He was waiting until his senior season ended before setting up visits; that happened Thursday night, and it is believed Michigan State will be given a close look here. Ole Miss, Washington State and Iowa State are among his other offers.
More: Michigan State: Five story lines for bowl season
The defensive line is another priority for Michigan State. Defensive line coach Ron Burton was at Belleville (Ill.) West on Monday for defensive end Keith Randolph, a 6-foot-5, 270-pound prospect who the Spartans offered and hosted for an unofficial visit. He has an official visit set to Virginia, and Iowa, Indiana, Illinois and others are also on his trail.
Toledo (Ohio) Whitmer’s Cavon Butler will take an official visit to Michigan State the weekend of Dec. 7. He visited the Spartans unofficially earlier in the fall. A Kentucky commit, he took an official visit to Ohio State the weekend of Nov. 24 and is also looking to return to Kentucky before making a final call.
Brooklyn (N.Y.) Christ the King defensive tackle Jared Harrison-Hunte, another option for the Spartans up front, has not set an official visit date with Michigan State, but has said he will attempt to in January.
In the secondary, one of the names on the board is Shilo Sanders, a cornerback from Cedar Hill (Texas) Trinity Christian School, and the son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. Michigan State offered Sanders earlier in the fall and word was that he would visit Michigan State. That has not happened yet, but the Spartans are continuing to recruit him and trying to get him on campus. South Carolina and Florida State are two of the other schools in the running there.
More information
Allen Trieu covers Midwest football recruiting for 247Sports. He has been featured on the Big Ten Network on its annual Signing Day Show. His Michigan and Michigan State recruiting columns appear weekly at detroitnews.com.