Who’s next? Michigan State 2024 wide receiver recruiting

The Spartans pulled off a major recruiting win when they earned a re-commitment from 2024 River Rouge (Mich.) High School four-star wide receiver Nick Marsh on Friday. The 6-foot-3, 198-pound receiver originally committed to Michigan State on July 31, 2022. But Marsh re-opened his recruiting process early this spring to examine other options.

Wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins and graduate assistant Tino Smith – among others – were able to secure a second commitment from Marsh. The Spartan staff beat out those other options which included Penn State, Pittsburgh, Auburn, Oregon and Kansas.

Marsh is the No. 120 recruit in the nation, according to the 2024 On3 Industry Rankings. The four-star is also the No. 21 wide receiver prospect and No. 3 prospect in Michigan.

Michigan State’s wide receiver unit heading into the 2023 season is deep and filled with youth.

Redshirt senior Tre Mosley (6-2, 198) is the lone receiver that is locked into a starting spot this upcoming season. Mosley has hauled in 98 career receptions for 1,176 yards and eight touchdowns.

The two starting roles flanking Mosley will remain an open competition heading into fall.

Junior Alante Brown (5-11, 200) – who transferred to Michigan State from Nebraska – is the second-most experienced receiver on the roster. Brown started 10 games last season for the Cornhuskers. He has 22 career receptions for 262 yards.

Senior Montorie Foster (6-0, 180) and redshirt junior Christian Fitzpatrick (6-4, 218) join their fellow upperclassmen in vying for the two remaining spots. Foster has tallied 17 receptions for 240 yards and 2 touchdowns with four career starts. Fitzpatrick – who started his collegiate career at Louisville – is the least experienced of the four. The 6-foot-4, 218-pound receiver suffered a season-ending injury after featuring in the Spartans’ first five games last season.

Michigan State has a handful of talented underclassmen receivers that will look to break into the starting lineup. Sophomore Tyrell Henry (6-0, 175) played in 11 games during his freshman campaign, amassing 10 kick returns for 183 yards. Redshirt freshmen Jaron Glover and Antonio Gates, Jr. saw limited action last season. However, both names were mentioned as standouts during spring practices.

The Spartans also added two underrated three-star wide receivers as part of their 2023 class – Azaiah Johnson, of Richmond (Va.) Thomas Jefferson High School, and Jaelen Smith, of Houston (Tx.) Klein Cain High School.

Michigan State and Hawkins are now primed to be patient for the remainder of the 2024 recruiting class. Landing Marsh – paired with a roster packed with receivers who still possess multiple years of eligibility – makes adding a second wide receiver in the 2024 class a luxury.

WHO’S NEXT? REMAINING TARGETS

The Spartans have a trio of remaining targets on their board, including Tampa (Fla.) Carrollwood Day four-star Bredell Richardson. The 6-foot, 190-pound recruit released his top four schools on May 25. The list included LSU, Oregon, Michigan State and Michigan.

“They had a bit of a down year this year but I feel like they’ll be right back up to where they were two years ago,” Richardson told On3’s Jeremy Johnson in May. “I love what they’ve been doing with the receivers. Jalen Nailor went to the Vikings two years ago, then Jayden Reed this year.”

The Spartans hold a strong connection to Richardson after landing a commitment from his Carrollwood Day teammate Anthony Carrie. The four-star running back announced his pledge to Michigan State on June 24, following his official visits.

Richardson – who planned to visit East Lansing near the end of June – did not make the trip. The Spartan staff will likely need to host Richardson on a visit to truly be involved in his final decision.

Michigan State did host three wide receivers on official visits during June.

West Hills (Calif.) Sierra Canyon four-star Kwazi Gilmer was the first of the trio to visit East Lansing on June 2. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound receiver went on four additional official visits to UCLA (May 26), Stanford (June 9), California (June 23) and Washington (June 17).

UCLA holds a commanding lead to land a commitment from Gilmer, with 93.2% odds according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). On3’s director of recruiting Chad Simmons placed an Expert Prediction in favor of UCLA on June 7.

Speedy wide receiver Javarius Green officially visited Michigan State on June 9. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound recruit from Shelby, N.C., took an additional official visit to in-state North Carolina.

The Tar Heels are the current favorites, holding a 41.6% chance to land Green according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). Michigan State has the second-best odds at 22.1%.

The three-star recruit received an offer from Alabama on June 1, which has the potential to slow down Green’s recruitment as he re-evaluates his options.

The Spartans also hosted Cincinnati (Ohio) Winton Woods three-star Tra’Mar Harris on an official visit June 9. However, Harris committed to Purdue on June 30, following an official visit to West Lafayette.

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