Trieu: Blackshear could fill Shelton-type role at MSU
Warminster (Pa.) Archbishop Wood’s Raheem Blackshear is a lightning bolt whose speed troubled opposing defenses all season. But he saved his best for last as the senior running back / wide receiver accumulated 414 rushing yards and five touchdowns in the final two games of his high school career, the last one a state title game win.
In that state title game, Blackshear ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns all within the game’s first 12 minutes.
That is when the Temple commit began hearing from other schools, Michigan State included, and while the Spartans have yet to offer, Blackshear now has an official visit set to East Lansing for Jan. 20.
“(They started recruiting me) at the end of my season,” Blackshear said. “The receivers coach (Terrence Samuel) and Coach Blackwell have been recruiting me.”
Rutgers also offered and Blackshear will visit the Scarlet Knights on Jan. 27. He has his official visit to Temple on Jan. 13.
At this point, he admits he is still finding out more about Michigan State, but the official visit will serve as a great opportunity to see what he needs to see.
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“I know a little about them,” he said. “I've been doing my research a little. I like the program and the way I fit it.”
That fit implies an R.J. Shelton-type role in the Spartan offense. Slot is a remaining need in this class and Blackshear’s ability to run the ball, elude defenders in space and run routes and catch the football show a diverse skill set similar to the one Shelton showed out of high school.
Connecticut also offered following the season and programs like Virginia Tech have been in contact, as well.
All of the new interest is well deserved after the season Blackshear had. It is also all coming after his commitment to Temple, but he says fielding this interest while being committed has not been difficult.
“At the end of the day it is my decision where I'm going to go to school at,” he said.
Spartans offer Arizona commit
On Wednesday night, Michigan State offered Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei defensive tackle Austin Faoliu, a 6-foot-4, 295-pound senior committed to Arizona.
Faoliu committed to the Wildcats in late September over offers from Arizona State, Colorado State, Hawaii and Nevada. Since then, Washington State offered and he visited the Cougars. In addition, he has remained open to contact from other programs despite his commitment.
At this time, he has not set an official visit to Michigan State, but is likely to give the Spartans a look in January.
A&M commit to visit MSU
Washington (D.C.) St. John’s College defensive end Tyree Johnson is committed to Texas A&M, but visited Maryland earlier in the month and will now visit Michigan State in January.
Johnson (6-4, 245) will be on MSU’s campus the weekend of Jan. 13.
That weekend and the weekend of Jan. 20 continue to have official visitors added and are positioned as the key recruiting weekends before National Signing Day, Feb. 1.
Johnson is ranked as the No. 10 defensive end in the East region by Scout. His offer list includes Kentucky, Ole Miss, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and others.
More information
Allen Trieu began covering the state of Michigan for Scout.com in 2005 and began managing the entire Midwest in 2009. 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.