Michigan State football recruiting: Underrated 2024 in-state recruits to monitor

Michigan State football’s 2024 recruiting class is currently in limbo with the head coaching search officially underway. SpartanMag.com looks at four underrated in-state prospects that the next Spartan coaching staff could recruit.

LB Desman Stephens, Clarkston (Mich.) High School

The 6-foot-2.5, 225-pound linebacker committed to Boston College in June, picking the Eagles over Purdue and Louisville. Michigan State currently holds just one linebacker commitment from Portage (Mich.) Northern three-star Jadyn Walker. The Spartans will need to add at linebacker with both Jacoby Windmon and Aaron Brule exhausting their eligibility after this season.

With head coach Jeff Hafley’s seat heating up following a 2-3 start to the season, Boston College is on the cusp of their own potential coaching search. If Boston College were to move on from Hafley, that would provide Michigan State with the opportunity to flip Stephens. Regardless of Hafley’s status, the Spartans could still give Stephens a look.

The three-star linebacker is the No. 435 ranked recruit in the nation, according to the 2024 On3 Industry Rankings. Stephens is also the No. 9 recruit in Michigan and the No. 39 ranked linebacker nationally.

TE Brody Kosin, Clarkston (Mich.) High School

Kosin – measuring in at 6-foot-6, 215-pounds – committed to Indiana in April. However, the Hoosiers made their own coaching change last week. Head coach Tom Allen announced the program was moving on from offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Walt Bell. While the change did not effect Kosin’s position coach and primary recruiter, Kevin Wright, the firing is something to keep an eye on.

Will Kosin re-evaluate his recruitment? Will the Indiana offense pass the eye test the remainder of the year? Is the big-bodied tight end interested in staying close to home? Depending on the answers to these questions, Michigan State’s next staff may have another in-state option to pursue.

In addition to Indiana, Kosin holds a number of Power Five offers, including Purdue, Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Duke, West Virginia and more.

Kosin is ranked the No. 1143 recruit in the nation, according to the 2024 On3 Industry Rankings. The three-star is also the No. 63 tight end and the No. 20 recruit in Michigan.

The Spartans have yet to add a 2024 tight end commit. With one right in their own backyard, the new staff could look to pursue the in-state three-star.

OL Gabe VanSickle, Coopersville (Mich.) High School

VanSickle’s midseason senior film passes the eye test. The physical 6-foot-5, 290-pound offensive lineman is a mauler in the trenches. The in-state lineman committed to Northwestern in May, shortly after a visit to Evanston. However, Northwestern is also going through its own regime change, with Pat Fitzgerald being fired in the summer amidst some controversy.

Michigan State currently holds four offensive line commitments in its 2024 recruiting class. Whether those pledges remain intact is the question. Even if the Spartans are able to retain those four commitments, VanSickle is still worth a look.

The three-star offensive lineman is the No. 915 recruit in the nation, according to the 2024 On3 Industry Rankings. VanSickle is the No. 76 interior offensive lineman and the No. 16 recruit in Michigan.

On3 rates VanSickle as a high three-star, which is significantly higher than other recruiting services. He is ranked the No. 32 interior offensive lineman and the No. 8 recruit in Michigan, according to the 2024 On3 Rankings.

OL Idrys Cotton, Canton (Mich.) Plymouth

Similar to VanSickle, Cotton is a Northwestern commit. He, too, announced his decision in May shortly after visiting Evanston. He holds additional offers from Louisville, Duke, Indiana, Vanderbilt, Stanford and more.

The 6-foot-3, 287-pound in-state lineman is familiar with Michigan State and its campus. Cotton has visited East Lansing three times since November 2022. His prior relationship with the school would allow Michigan State’s next coaching staff to move quickly on Cotton if they so chose.

Cotton is the No. 1000 ranked recruit nationally, according to the 2024 On3 Industry Rankings. He is ranked the No. 85 interior offensive lineman and the No. 18 recruit in Michigan.

The three-star lineman is also rated significantly higher by On3. He is the No. 36 ranked interior offensive lineman and the No. 9 recruit in Michigan, according to the 2024 On3 Rankings.

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