Mel Tucker says Michigan State is gaining ground recruiting in-state
During a guest appearance on The Drive with Jack on Thursday, Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker answered a number of questions related to recruiting, including whether the Spartans would consider bringing in late-summer additions via the NCAA transfer portal.
“That remains to be seen, I have a recruiting Zoom call here at six o’clock,” Tucker said. “I’ll be getting on the phone with the young man and his family. It just really never stops.”
Tucker cannot talk about individual recruits before they have signed with Michigan State, but there is some indication that the Zoom call was with former Northwestern linebacker Nigel Glover, who entered the NCAA Transfer portal on Monday.
Tucker expects to have several recruits on campus as unofficial visitors later this month when Michigan State hosts it’s third annual Spartan Dawg Con next week.
“At the end of the month, we have the Spartan Dawg Con, and we’ll have some guys in on some unofficials,” Tucker said. “There will be more guys jumping in the boat here soon with commitments. A lot of players want to commit before their senior season starts, so you could look to see maybe some more commitments. Recruiting is going well.”
Entering its third year, Spartan Dawg Con brings back former Spartan football players to Michigan State and reinforces their connection to the program. Current Michigan State staff member Darien Harris, a linebacker at the height of the Mark Dantonio era, has been instrumental helping connect past players to the Spartan program.
“When we invite players back for the golf outing or that weekend, they come from different eras,” Tucker said. “You know, Bob Apisa and Jimmy Raye coming back. Guys that played with Darien in his era, they come back, so you’ve got all different eras. There’s former players that if we don’t reach out to them how can we connect with them, they don’t know anyone on our staff. They don’t know anyone in the building so how do you know if you’re welcome back, welcome at practice, or welcome at a game.
“Some coaches don’t want former players around. I think it’s important for those former players to know that they have a home here regardless of who they played for or what their record was. Whether they play as a pro or were a walk-on, that doesn’t matter.”
Tucker says Michigan State gaining ground in-state
During his interview with Ebling, Tucker also reiterated the importance of being a serious recruiting presence for in-state prospects. He also shared his belief that Michigan State is gaining ground with the top talent in Michigan.
“We are gaining ground in-state, which was an issue when I walked in the door here in 2020, especially in Detroit,” Tucker said. “We seem to be able to mitigate those circumstances, and we are starting to get some really good players, some top players here. We are in the hunt, and we are battling for some of the top players in the country and winning our fair share of those. That is only going to improve and increase as we go, especially with our new facility.”
Michigan State currently holds commitments from two of the Top 10 players in the state of Michigan in the On 3 Industry Rankings for 2024. River Rouge wide receiver Nick Marsh is the highest ranked of Michigan State’s two committed in-state recruits for the Class of 2024 at No. 3 in Michigan, No. 122 overall, and No. 22 among wide receivers. Mount Pleasant offensive lineman Andrew Dennis is ranked No. 7 in Michigan in the On 3 Industry Rankings for the 2024 recruiting cycle.
Tucker also acknowledged that Michigan State is recruiting prospects currently committed to other programs just as those same programs continue to recruit Spartan commitments in the 2024 recruiting class.
“It never stops,” Tucker said. “When players commit to us, it doesn’t stop. When players commit to other places is doesn’t stop unless they say they don’t want to be recruited. A lot of times players will commit and that same day they will say, ‘still recruit me, I still want to be recruited.’ Guys changed their minds, and they commit for different reasons. You just never know for sure until December when they sign or that first Wednesday in February. You can’t really draw too many conclusions until that point.”
Michigan State currently has 12 committed players in its 2024 recruiting class.
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