Pittsburgh (PA) S Jason Cross schedules official visit; talks Michigan State

Michigan State secondary coach Harlon Barnett extended an offer to 2024 Pittsburgh (Pa.) Bishop Canevin safety Jason Cross on April 10. The Spartans worked quickly to get the the 6-foot, 170-pounder on campus for the spring game April 15.

Cross is ranked a three-star, the No. 865 overall recruit, the No. 87 safety, and the No. 26 recruit in Pennsylvania, according to the 2024 On3 Industry Rankings. His other offers include Texas A&M, Penn State, Iowa State, and more. Cross also visited Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati, West Virginia, and Penn State and others this spring.

The three-star will make his second visit to East Lansing on June 21 for an official visit. He will take three official visits in June before coming to a final decision.

“I will see West Virginia (June 9), Kentucky (June 16) and the last weekend I will be back up at Michigan State,” Cross said. “Right now we are just playing things by ear, going on these trips and seeing where I feel most comfortable. I would say hopefully in July I will have a decision, maybe early August publicly”

While off campus, Cross keeps in most contact with Michigan State defensive graduate assistant Bo Els, along with Harlon Barnett.

“I have been talking to Coach Bo Els a lot,” Cross said. “He is a great guy. Coach Barnett is too. I don’t talk to Coach (Jim) Salgado as much since he is the corners coach. Coach Bo Els and Barnett, they are great guys and we communicate a lot.”

His most recent visit for the spring game gave the three-star a look at practice and the atmosphere of the fans in the crowd. Returning for an official visit will allow Cross to spend more time touring campus and spending time with the coaches.

“It was a great day,” Cross said. “The weather was very nice out there so everyone came out. There were some other events going on that day, I think there was a marathon (Izzo 5K), so there was a bunch of people out and a great environment.”

Cross had his eyes on the safeties group, watching both Barnett and Els closely to see how the duo coached on the field.

“They looked good,” Cross said. “It looked like they were hard on their guys. They make sure their guys know exactly what they were doing and what each other were doing.”

After practice, Cross and his family met with head coach Mel Tucker. The conversation with the Michigan State head coach resonated with both Cross and his family.

“He was really laid back in his office when my family and I had talked to him,” Cross said of Tucker. “He seemed like he was really down to earth. It made us feel at home and like he knew what he was talking about.”

When turning on the film, it is easy to tell the three-star is known as a heavy hitting defensive back with long arms and solid speed.

“My length is definitely a big strength,” Cross said. “My confidence is great, and I would say I am very versatile. I can play corner, safety, anywhere you need me.”

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