Michigan State Football Recruiting: Aaron Burbridge Enrolled, Ready To Go

The Michigan State Spartans received some good news on Friday. Incoming freshman wide receiver Aaron Burbridge revealed that he was officially enrolled for the fall semester following questions about his academic eligibility as a high school senior.

Big question answered for #MichiganState as freshman receiver Aaron Burbridge has announced he's at MSU and officially enrolled.

— Dave Berk (@DMBerk) August 3, 2012

Burbridge, a Farmington Hills product, passed his summer class on Wednesday of this week, his high school coach announced, making him eligible to enroll. He was in attendance on Friday when players reported to camp.

A 6-foot-1, 190 pound wide receiver, Burbridge was considered the top recruit in Michigan. He received a four-star rating after starting for three years in high school.

For more on the Michigan State Spartans, go to The Only Colors. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NCAA Football hub at SBNation.com/NCAA-Football.

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Spartans Add JUCO TE Jamare Mills

Michigan State picked up a commitment from a junior college tight end on Sunday. His name is Jamare Mills, and he played for Blinn Community College in Texas last season. He will come to MSU as part of the 2012 recruiting class and have three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Mills is unrated on Rivals, but Scout and ESPN give him three stars. He is the 55th ranked tight end on Scout. ESPN has him 121st at his position, but their evaluation of him is from 2011 and his position is listed as offensive tackle. At MSU, he will be a tight end, giving Michigan State some much needed added depth at the position.

Officially, Mills is the 20th member of Michigan State's 2012 recruiting class. Back on signing day, the Spartans had 18 players in the class, but earlier this month they added long snapper Taybor Pepper, who switched from being a preferred walk-on at Michigan to joining MSU after receiving a scholarship offer.

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012

1. LB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 205 lbs., ***
2. OT Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., ***
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., ***
4. TE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., ***
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., ***
6. WR Kyle Kerrick (Coatesville, PA) - 6'3", 183 lbs., *** | Early enrollee
7. LB Jamal Lyles (Southfield, MI) - 6'3", 215 lbs., ****
8. TE Josiah Price (Greentown, IN) - 6'5", 239 lbs., ***
9. RB Nick Tompkins (Snellville, GA) - 5'10", 185 lbs., ***
10. WR MacGarrett Kings (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - 5'11", 178 lbs., ***
11. WR Aaron Burbridge (Farmington Hills, MI) - 6'1", 175 lbs., ****
12. DB Jermaine Edmondson (Canton, OH) - 6'1", 170 lbs., ***
13. OT Kodi Kieler (Gibraltar, MI) - 6'6", 305 lbs., ***
14. CB Ezra Robinson (Sarasota, FL) - 6'0", 174 lbs., ***
15. S Mark Meyers (Toledo, OH) - 6'0", 180 lbs., ***
16. DT David Fennell (Portland, OR) - 6'3", 274 lbs., **
17. WR Monty Madaris (Cincinnati, OH) - 6'2", 190 lbs., ***
18. S Demetrious Cox (Jeannette, PA) - 6'1", 192 lbs., ****
19. LS Taybor Pepper (Saline, MI) - 6'4", 185 lbs., NR
20. TE Jamare Mills (Dublin, OH) - 6'5", 262 lbs., NR

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

For more on the Michigan State Spartans, go to The Only Colors. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NCAA Football hub at SBNation.com/NCAA-Football.

Michigan State Football Recruiting: 2012 Quarterback Tyler O'Connor Has Big Game In Ohio North-South Game

Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio signed one quarterback in his 2012 recruiting class and it appears he signed a good one, according to reports from an Ohio high school all-star game on Friday.

Lima Central Catholic's Tyler O'Connor threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns for the South squad in the North-South Ohio prep all-star football game Friday. The North went on to post a 21-16 victory over the South.

O'Connor completed 18-of-33 passes in an impressive performance for the South team that saw him connect with Air Force recruit Jalen Robinette for his first touchdown and Toledo recruit Armani Miller for the second. With Andrew Maxwell ready to take over the quarterback position for Michigan State, O'Connor will come to East Lansing looking to battle Connor Cook for the backup spot.

For more on the Michigan State Spartans, go to The Only Colors. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NCAA Football hub at SBNation.com/NCAA-Football.

Michigan State Recruiting: CSN Chicago Ranks Spartans' Class No. 7 In Big Ten

With the dust settling on national signing day, CSN Chicago gathered analysis from Midwest recruiting expert Tom Lemming of CBS College Sports to rank the recruiting classes for the Big Ten conference.

The Michigan State Spartans check in at No. 7 in the recruiting class rankings which is due in part to the 18-player class and the lack of high-impact players and an abundance of 3-star prospects. As Lemming notes, Michigan State is starting to make some progress in expanding their reach to other areas of the country which has become a trend among Big Ten schools.

As for the class, here is what CSN Chicago had to say.

7. MICHIGAN STATE: The Spartans got one of the best prospects in Michigan in WR Aaron Burbridge but they had more success in Ohio, Florida and Georgia. Coach Mark Dantonio is especially pleased with defensive backs Ezra Robinson, Demetrious Cox, Mark Meyers and Jermaine Edmondson.

For more on Michigan State football recruiting, check out The Only Colors. SBNation.com has more on National Signing Day 2012.

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Monty Madaris Signs Letter Of Intent

Cincinnati wide receiver Monty Madaris is officially headed to Michigan State. After holding off on signing his letter of intent on National Signing Day, Madaris sent it to the Spartans at 7:23 a.m. on Thursday. Michigan State officially announced the signing shortly after with this statement from head coach Mark Dantonio (via Mike Dyer):

"Monty is an outstanding athlete who attended our camp twice. He's a big-bodied wide receiver who reminds me of B.J. Cunningham. He was one of the top players in Cincinnati in one of the most competitive conferences in the nation. Monty is the third player that we’ve recruited from Moeller ... the past two (Greg Jones, Marcus Rush) have been great ones."

With Madaris' letter of intent in, Michigan State's 2012 football recruiting class is up to 18 recruits. It's likely to remain at that number, as there are no known recruits out there who haven't decided and are still considering Michigan State.

Here's an updated look at Michigan State's 2012 class:

1. LB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 205 lbs., ***
2. OT Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., ***
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., ***
4. TE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., ***
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., ***
6. WR Kyle Kerrick (Coatesville, PA) - 6'3", 183 lbs., *** | Early enrollee
7. LB Jamal Lyles (Southfield, MI) - 6'3", 215 lbs., ****
8. TE Josiah Price (Greentown, IN) - 6'5", 239 lbs., ***
9. RB Nick Tompkins (Snellville, GA) - 5'10", 185 lbs., ***
10. WR MacGarrett Kings (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - 5'11", 178 lbs., ***
11. WR Aaron Burbridge (Farmington Hills, MI) - 6'1", 175 lbs., ****
12. DB Jermaine Edmondson (Canton, OH) - 6'1", 170 lbs., ***
13. OT Kodi Kieler (Gibraltar, MI) - 6'6", 305 lbs., ***
14. CB Ezra Robinson (Sarasota, FL) - 6'0", 174 lbs., ***
15. S Mark Meyers (Toledo, OH) - 6'0", 180 lbs., ***
16. DT David Fennell (Portland, OR) - 6'3", 274 lbs., **
17. WR Monty Madaris (Cincinnati, OH) - 6'2", 190 lbs., ***
18. S Demetrious Cox (Jeannette, PA) - 6'1", 192 lbs., ****

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

For more on Michigan State football recruiting, check out The Only Colors. SBNation.com has more on National Signing Day 2012.

Michigan State Football Recruiting 2012: National Signing Day Recap

Going into National Signing Day, Michigan State had 18 commits and was a finalist for four undecided recruits. As a result, the Spartans looked like they were poised to keep their recent momentum going and put together a strong finish to their 2012 recruiting class. Things didn't go nearly as well as they had hoped, though.

Michigan State started out the day by finding out that defensive end Julian Pinnix-Odrick decided to sign with Rutgers, the school he had been committed to. Similarly, defensive end JaMichael Winston decided to stick with his commitment and sign with Arkansas instead of going with the Spartans. Defensive tackle Terrell Jackson picked Pittsburgh over Michigan State, and later offensive tackle Kyle Dodson went with Ohio State.

Even though the Spartans were unable to add any new commitments, the good news was that no drama was expected with their own recruits. Quickly letters of intent came in, and by the afternoon only Monty Madaris remained unsigned. Oddly enough, he still has not sent in his letter of intent, and one report suggested on Wednesday night that he was "undecided" about his future. Madaris denied that claim on Twitter, but he still hasn't signed. All in all, this has become a pretty strange situation.

With the way things shook out on National Signing Day, Michigan State currently has a class of 17 recruits. Madaris would be No. 18 if he decides to sign, but what exactly will happen with that situation remains to be seen. For now, here is a look at the 17 recruits who did sign with MSU:

1. LB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 205 lbs., ***
2. OT Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., ***
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., ***
4. TE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., ***
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., ***
6. WR Kyle Kerrick (Coatesville, PA) - 6'3", 183 lbs., *** | Early enrollee
7. LB Jamal Lyles (Southfield, MI) - 6'3", 215 lbs., ****
8. TE Josiah Price (Greentown, IN) - 6'5", 239 lbs., ***
9. RB Nick Tompkins (Snellville, GA) - 5'10", 185 lbs., ***
10. WR MacGarrett Kings (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - 5'11", 178 lbs., ***
11. WR Aaron Burbridge (Farmington Hills, MI) - 6'1", 175 lbs., ****
12. DB Jermaine Edmondson (Canton, OH) - 6'1", 170 lbs., ***
13. OT Kodi Kieler (Gibraltar, MI) - 6'6", 305 lbs., ***
14. CB Ezra Robinson (Sarasota, FL) - 6'0", 174 lbs., ***
15. S Mark Meyers (Toledo, OH) - 6'0", 180 lbs., ***
16. DT David Fennell (Portland, OR) - 6'3", 274 lbs., **
17. S Demetrious Cox (Jeannette, PA) - 6'1", 192 lbs., ****

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

UPDATE: Madaris sent in his letter of intent to Michigan State on Thursday morning.

For more on Michigan State football recruiting, check out The Only Colors. SBNation.com has more on National Signing Day 2012.

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Spartans Announce Signing Of 17 Commits

Michigan State came into National Signing Day with 18 commitments for its 2012 football recruiting class and was hoping to finish the day with a class of 20 or so recruits. That is not going to happen, though. The Spartans were finalists for four recruits who were undecided going into Wednesday, but all of them signed elsewhere. What's more, wide receiver commit Monty Madaris has not yet signed with Michigan State, and it's unclear what exactly is the cause for the delay.

With no new commits being added and Madaris not yet signing his letter of intent, Michigan State's official announcement about its 2012 football recruiting class included only 17 recruits. They are listed below.

UPDATE: Madaris sent in his letter of intent to Michigan State on Thursday morning.

1. LB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 205 lbs., ***
2. OT Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., ***
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., ***
4. TE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., ***
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., ***
6. WR Kyle Kerrick (Coatesville, PA) - 6'3", 183 lbs., *** | Early enrollee
7. LB Jamal Lyles (Southfield, MI) - 6'3", 215 lbs., ****
8. TE Josiah Price (Greentown, IN) - 6'5", 239 lbs., ***
9. RB Nick Tompkins (Snellville, GA) - 5'10", 185 lbs., ***
10. WR MacGarrett Kings (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - 5'11", 178 lbs., ***
11. WR Aaron Burbridge (Farmington Hills, MI) - 6'1", 175 lbs., ****
12. DB Jermaine Edmondson (Canton, OH) - 6'1", 170 lbs., ***
13. OT Kodi Kieler (Gibraltar, MI) - 6'6", 305 lbs., ***
14. CB Ezra Robinson (Sarasota, FL) - 6'0", 174 lbs., ***
15. S Mark Meyers (Toledo, OH) - 6'0", 180 lbs., ***
16. DT David Fennell (Portland, OR) - 6'3", 274 lbs., **
17. S Demetrious Cox (Jeannette, PA) - 6'1", 192 lbs., ****

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

If Madaris does in fact sign with Michigan State, chances are the Spartans' 2012 class will be finalized at 18 commits. If he decides to go elsewhere, however, then the Spartans will likely finish with those 17 recruits for 2012.

SB Nation Detroit will have updates on the Madaris situation as they become available.

For more on Michigan State football recruiting, check out The Only Colors. SBNation.com has more on National Signing Day 2012.

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Monty Madaris Reportedly Still Hasn't Signed LOI

National Signing Day was shaping up to be rather uneventful for Michigan State, but it has actually seen quite a bit of drama unfold over the status of wide receiver commit Monty Madaris. By the afternoon Madaris was the only unsigned commit for Michigan State's 2012 recruiting class, and there was talk that this was because he was home sick from school. The expectation was still for him to sign, but as of Wednesday night, that has not happened, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Moeller senior wide receiver Monty Madaris remained undecided about his college decision heading into Wednesday night, according to Moeller coach John Rodenberg.

There have been conflicting reports throughout the night about whether or not Madaris has signed his letter of intent. Based on the lack of his inclusion in Michigan State's official National Signing Day release, I think it's pretty obvious his letter of intent has not been signed, or at the very least it hasn't been faxed to MSU.

To make this situation even stranger, Madaris tweeted this on Wednesday night in response to the story about him being "undecided."

im not undecided.

— monty madaris (@montymadaris) February 2, 2012

This begs the question: If Madaris is not undecided, what is the hold up? If he was dead set on going to Michigan State, which seemed to be the case after he committed on Sunday, his letter of intent would be in by now and he would officially be a Spartan.

I don't know if Madaris is having second thoughts about leaving home for Michigan State rather than attending his hometown school of Cincinnati or if it's something else, but this is certainly a strange situation.

For more on Michigan State football recruiting, check out The Only Colors. SBNation.com has more on National Signing Day 2012.

Michigan State Football Recruiting: JaMichael Winston Signs With Arkansas

Going into National Signing Day, Michigan State had the potential to add as many as four new commits to its 2012 recruiting class. As it stands right now, it looks like the Spartans will finish the day where they started -- with 18 commitments.

On Wednesday, Michigan State finished behind Rutgers for defensive end Julian Pinnix-Odrick, Pittsburgh for defensive tackle Terrell Jackson and Ohio State for offensive tackle Kyle Dodson. The Spartans also finished behind Arkansas for defensive end JaMichael Winston, who decided to stick with his commitment and sign with the Razorbacks.

JaMichael Winston signs with Arkansas over Clemson and Michigan State.

— Hawgs Illustrated (@HImagazine) February 1, 2012

Winston took a visit to Michigan State this past weekend, giving Spartans fans hope that he would decommit from Arkansas. In the end, he decided to sign with the Razorbacks over heading north to play for Michigan State.

For more on Michigan State football recruiting, check out The Only Colors. SBNation.com has more on National Signing Day 2012.

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Kyle Dodson Commits To Ohio State

As it stands right now, Michigan State is on track to finish the day with the same commits that it had going into National Signing Day. On the one hand, that's not a bad thing because all of the Spartans' commits are expected to send in their letter of intent if they haven't already, but the down side is no new recruits have joined the 2012 recruiting class.

After missing out on Terrell Jackson, a defensive tackle from Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday morning, Michigan State came up short in the recruitment for offensive tackle Kyle Dodson later in the day. The four-star recruit from Cleveland announced at a press conference Wednesday afternoon that he has chosen to attend Ohio State. Michigan State, USC and Wisconsin were Dodson's other finalists.

Dodson is a consensus four-star offensive tackle with an impressive offer list. According to Rivals, Dodson held offers from schools like Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Purdue, in addition to the four schools that made his final list.

Missing out on Dodson is disappointing, but it isn't a colossal blow for the Spartans. They already put together a pretty strong finish by adding Monty Madaris and Demetrious Cox on Sunday and Monday, so adding Dodson would have been the icing on the cake more than anything.

For more on Michigan State football recruiting, check out The Only Colors. SBNation.com has more on National Signing Day 2012.

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Terrell Jackson Picks Pittsburgh

One of the recruits with Michigan State among his finalists has made a decision. Ohio defensive tackle Terrell Jackson is headed to Pittsburgh. He made the announcement on National Signing Day and picked the Panthers over Michigan State, Illinois and Cincinnati.

During his press conference, Jackson had some fun and briefly gave off the impression that Michigan State was his pick.

Hold the phone. TJ picks up #MichiganState hat.. Then puts it down

— Simone Scott (@ImSimoneScott) February 1, 2012

According to Scott, after pretending to pick Michigan State, Jackson took out a Pittsburgh hat from under the table and put it on to signify his pick.

In other news, New Jersey defensive end Julian Pinnix-Odrick did in fact sign with Rutgers. Both Michigan State and Syracuse were in the mix for Pinnix-Odrick, but he ultimately decided to stick with his commitment to the Scarlet Knights.

For more on Michigan State football recruiting, check out The Only Colors. SBNation.com has more on National Signing Day 2012.

National Signing Day 2012: Decision Day Arrives For Kyle Dodson, Terrell Jackson

Michigan State is hoping that the 2012 edition of National Signing Day will be boring in one sense and exciting in another. The Spartans hope there is no drama with their 18 current commits and that all of their letters of intent come in without any problems. On the flip side, the Spartans are hoping that there is some excitement with a couple players announcing their decision on Wednesday. Michigan State is among the finalists for Kyle Dodson and Terrell Jackson, and landing them would be a nice way to finish the 2012 class.

As of Tuesday, Michigan State was actually still in the mix for four recruits. That number may now be down to just two, though. This is because defensive linemen JaMichael Winston and Julian Pinnix-Odrick may have recently reaffirmed their commitment to Arkansas and Rutgers, respectively.

Winston, who is from Alabama, took a visit to MSU this past weekend and was debating about sticking with the Razorbacks or opting to go with the Spartans. Based on this article from 24/7 Sports about a decision being made and the fact that his profile lists his commitment date to Arkansas as Jan. 31 (Tuesday), it appears he has decided to sign with the Razorbacks.

Pinnix-Odrick, who is from New Jersey, has been committed to Rutgers since the summer. With the coaching change that happened there recently, he decided to look around a bit. Syracuse drew his attention, and Michigan State tried to get him to visit this upcoming weekend. It doesn't look like that is going to happen, though. According to multiple reports, Pinnix-Odrick has decided to sign with Rutgers, meaning the Spartans will probably have to scratch him off the list of potential additions on National Signing Day.

The good news for Michigan State is that it is among the finalists for Jackson, a defensive tackle from Columbus, Ohio. He will choose between Michigan State, Illinois and Pittsburgh, according to Rob Howe. Jackson hasn't set a specific time for his announcement, but it is expected to happen on Wednesday.

As for Dodson, his announcement is set for 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The four-star offensive tackle from Cleveland will decide between Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin and USC.

For more on Michigan State football recruiting, check out The Only Colors. SBNation.com has more on National Signing Day 2012.

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Where The 2012 Class Stands On National Signing Day

As National Signing Day begins, Michigan State's 2012 football recruiting class has 18 commits. By the end of the day, that number could very well be in the 20s. The Spartans are expected to officially sign their 18 commits to letters of intent, and they could also add a few players who have yet to commit and are planning to announce their decision on Wednesday.

Here is a breakdown of where things stand for Michigan State on National Signing Day:

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012 - Commits

1. LB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 205 lbs., ***
2. OL Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., ***
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., ***
4. TE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., ***
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., ***
6. WR Kyle Kerrick (Coatesville, PA) - 6'3", 183 lbs., ***
7. LB Jamal Lyles (Southfield, MI) - 6'3", 215 lbs., ****
8. TE/DE Josiah Price (Greentown, IN) - 6'5", 239 lbs., ***
9. RB Nick Tompkins (Snellville, GA) - 5'10", 185 lbs., ***
10. WR MacGarrett Kings (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - 5'11", 178 lbs., ***
11. WR Aaron Burbridge (Farmington Hills, MI) - 6'1", 175 lbs., ****
12. DB Jermaine Edmondson (Canton, OH) - 6'1", 170 lbs., ***
13. OT Kodi Kieler (Gibraltar, MI) - 6'6", 305 lbs., ***
14. CB Ezra Robinson (Sarasota, FL) - 6'0", 174 lbs., ***
15. S Mark Meyers (Toledo, OH) - 6'0", 180 lbs., ***
16. DT David Fennell (Portland, OR) - 6'3", 274 lbs., **
17. WR Monty Madaris (Cincinnati, OH) - 6'2", 190 lbs., ***
18. S Demetrious Cox (Jeannette, PA) - 6'1", 192 lbs., ****

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012 - Potential Additions

The Spartans are waiting to hear from three recruits who are planning to announce their decision on National Signing Day. The most notable of the three is four-star offensive tackle Kyle Dodson, who will announce his decision at 12:15 p.m. He is down to Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State and USC.

The other two players Michigan State has a chance to add are both defensive linemen. Alabama defensive end JaMichael Winston, who is committed to Arkansas, could sign with the Razorbacks or change his mind and go with the Spartans. Defensive tackle Terrell Jackson, who is from Columbus, Ohio, is uncommitted and is down to three schools: Michigan State, Illinois and Pittsburgh. His decision is expected to be announced on Wednesday.

Another defensive lineman the Spartans were in the mix for was New Jersey defensive end Julian Pinnix-Odrick, but he has decided to stick with his commitment to Rutgers, according to a report from John Garcia Jr.

Make sure to check back in to SB Nation Detroit's Michigan State football recruiting coverage for the latest news about the three undecided recruits and the rest of the 2012 class.

For more on Michigan State football recruiting, check out The Only Colors. SBNation.com has more on National Signing Day 2012.

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Marcus Horne Will Be Preferred Walk-On

When Milwaukee running back Marcus Horne committed to Michigan State on Sunday, it was reported that he was going to be a grayshirt in 2012. As it turns out, he is not going to be a grayshirt after all. Instead, Horne will join the Spartans as a preferred walk-on, according to Allen Trieu.

Milwaukee (Wisc.) Bradley Tech RB Marcus Horne says he will be at #MichiganState as a preferred walk-on, not a greyshirt

— Allen Trieu (@AllenTrieu) January 31, 2012

By being a walk-on instead of a grayshirt, Horne will join the football team in time for the 2012 season instead of waiting until 2013. He won't be on scholarship, but he will have a chance to earn one down the road. That would have also been the case if he had grayshirted, so now he will get to join the team immediately.

Since Horne isn't getting a scholarship for now, I am not going to include him on Michigan State's list of commitments, which you can check out below.

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012

1. DB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 195 lbs., ***
2. OL Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., ***
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., ***
4. TE/DE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., ***
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., ***
6. WR Kyle Kerrick (Coatesville, PA) - 6'3", 183 lbs., ***
7. LB Jamal Lyles (Southfield, MI) - 6'3", 215 lbs., ****
8. TE/DE Josiah Price (Greentown, IN) - 6'5", 239 lbs., ***
9. RB Nick Tompkins (Snellville, GA) - 5'10", 185 lbs., ***
10. WR MacGarrett Kings (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - 5'11", 178 lbs., ***
11. WR Aaron Burbridge (Farmington Hills, MI) - 6'1", 175 lbs., ****
12. DB Jermaine Edmondson (Canton, OH) - 6'1", 170 lbs., ***
13. OT Kodi Kieler (Gibraltar, MI) - 6'6", 305 lbs., ***
14. CB Ezra Robinson (Sarasota, FL) - 6'0", 174 lbs., ***
15. S Mark Meyers (Toledo, OH) - 6'0", 180 lbs., ***
16. DT David Fennell (Portland, OR) - 6'3", 275 lbs., NR
17. WR Monty Madaris (Cincinnati, OH) - 6'2", 190 lbs., ***
18. S Demetrious Cox (Jeannette, PA) - 6'1", 192 lbs., ****

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

For more on the Michigan State Spartans, go to The Only Colors. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NCAA Football hub at SBNation.com/NCAA-Football.

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Demetrious Cox Commits

Pennsylvania safety Demetrious Cox has committed to Michigan State. The 2012 recruit announced his decision to play football for the Spartans during a Monday evening press conference at Jeannette High School (his high school and the one Terrelle Pryor attended).

Cox is a four-star recruit on all four of the major recruiting sites. He is ranked 13th at safety and 10th in the state of Pennsylvania by Rivals.

Cox chose the Spartans over Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin. In addition to those four schools, Rivals reports that he has offers from Arizona State, Kansas, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.

With Cox committing, Michigan State has now added two four-star recruits in as many days. Cincinnati wide receiver Monty Madaris committed to MSU on Sunday night, and he is a four-star recruit on all but one of the four major recruiting sites. (Michigan State also picked up a commitment from two-star running back Marcus Horne, who will grayshirt in 2012, on Sunday night.)

Below is a look at the updated list of Michigan State commitments for 2012.

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012

1. DB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 195 lbs., ***
2. OL Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., ***
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., ***
4. TE/DE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., ***
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., ***
6. WR Kyle Kerrick (Coatesville, PA) - 6'3", 183 lbs., ***
7. LB Jamal Lyles (Southfield, MI) - 6'3", 215 lbs., ****
8. TE/DE Josiah Price (Greentown, IN) - 6'5", 239 lbs., ***
9. RB Nick Tompkins (Snellville, GA) - 5'10", 185 lbs., ***
10. WR MacGarrett Kings (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - 5'11", 178 lbs., ***
11. WR Aaron Burbridge (Farmington Hills, MI) - 6'1", 175 lbs., ****
12. DB Jermaine Edmondson (Canton, OH) - 6'1", 170 lbs., ***
13. OT Kodi Kieler (Gibraltar, MI) - 6'6", 305 lbs., ***
14. CB Ezra Robinson (Sarasota, FL) - 6'0", 174 lbs., ***
15. S Mark Meyers (Toledo, OH) - 6'0", 180 lbs., ***
16. DT David Fennell (Portland, OR) - 6'3", 275 lbs., NR
17. WR Monty Madaris (Cincinnati, OH) - 6'2", 190 lbs., ***
18. S Demetrious Cox (Jeannette, PA) - 6'1", 192 lbs., ****

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

For more on the Michigan State Spartans, go to The Only Colors. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NCAA Football hub at SBNation.com/NCAA-Football.

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Kyle Dodson To Announce Decision On Wednesday

Two important announcements related to Michigan State's 2012 football recruiting class are coming up. First, as noted earlier, Pennsylvania safety Demetrious Cox is set to announce his college decision on Monday. Specifically, the announcement will happen at 6:30 p.m., according to Jared Shanker. Then, on Wednesday (National Signing Day) at 12:15 p.m., Ohio offensive tackle Kyle Dodson will announce his college decision, according to Tim Warsinskey.

Both Cox and Dodson have Michigan State among their final four schools. In fact, each player's final list is pretty similar. Dodson is down to Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State and USC, whereas Cox is down to Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Penn State.

If the Spartans can land Dodson, their recruiting class for 2012 will jump up in the rankings. He is a consensus four-star offensive tackle with a ton of offers from big-time programs. In addition to his four finalists, Dodson has offers from Alabama, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt and West Virginia, among other schools.

Dodson has been committed to Wisconsin since June, but he has been considered a soft verbal for a while now. Considering he is holding an announcement and has a list of four schools, right now I would say it's far from a sure thing that he will remain committed to Wisconsin.

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Demetrious Cox To Announce Decision On Monday

Decision day has arrived for Pennsylvania safety Demetrious Cox. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the four-star recruit will announce his decision on Monday when he chooses between four schools: Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin.

Cox has visited each of the final four schools on his list over the course of the last month or so. According to Rivals, his visit to Michigan State occurred back on Dec. 16. Cox checked out the other three schools over the last few weeks. He visited Penn State on Jan. 13 and Ohio State on Jan. 20, and this past weekend he was in Madison to check out Wisconsin.

Cox is a four-star recruit on all four of the major recruiting sites. If Cox commits to the Spartans, he will be the second four-star recruit to join their 2012 class in as many days. Wide receiver Monty Madaris committed to MSU on Sunday night, and adding Cox a day later would be a nice way to get the week started with signing day coming up on Wednesday.

For more on the Michigan State Spartans, go to The Only Colors. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NCAA Football hub at SBNation.com/NCAA-Football.

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Marcus Horne Commits, Will Grayshirt

Wide receiver Monty Madaris wasn't the only recruit to commit to Michigan State on Sunday night. The Spartans also picked up a commitment from Milwaukee running back Marcus Horne, who will be a grayshirt in 2012, according to Allen Trieu. This means Horne will pay his own way for at least one semester before having a chance to earn a scholarship.

Horne is a two-star recruit on all four of the major recruiting sites and is ranked in the top 10 in the state of Wisconsin. There is some slight variation on where specifically he is in the top 10, as Rivals has him sixth, ESPN has him seventh and 24/7 Sports has him eighth.

Horne chose to grayshirt at MSU over accepting a scholarship offer from a MAC school. According to Rivals, he has offers from Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Toledo and Western Michigan. He also holds offers from a few FCS schools. For Horne, the opportunity to potentially have a scholarship someday at Michigan State was more appealing than being guaranteed a scholarship immediately at a lower level.

Because Horne is grayshirting, I am not going to add him to the list of commits for 2012, which you can check out below.

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012

1. DB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 195 lbs., ***
2. OL Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., ***
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., ***
4. TE/DE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., ***
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., ***
6. WR Kyle Kerrick (Coatesville, PA) - 6'3", 183 lbs., ***
7. LB Jamal Lyles (Southfield, MI) - 6'3", 215 lbs., ****
8. TE/DE Josiah Price (Greentown, IN) - 6'5", 239 lbs., ***
9. RB Nick Tompkins (Snellville, GA) - 5'10", 185 lbs., ***
10. WR MacGarrett Kings (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - 5'11", 178 lbs., ***
11. WR Aaron Burbridge (Farmington Hills, MI) - 6'1", 175 lbs., ****
12. DB Jermaine Edmondson (Canton, OH) - 6'1", 170 lbs., ***
13. OT Kodi Kieler (Gibraltar, MI) - 6'6", 305 lbs., ***
14. CB Ezra Robinson (Sarasota, FL) - 6'0", 174 lbs., ***
15. S Mark Meyers (Toledo, OH) - 6'0", 180 lbs., ***
16. DT David Fennell (Portland, OR) - 6'3", 275 lbs., NR
17. WR Monty Madaris (Cincinnati, OH) - 6'2", 190 lbs., ***

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

For more on the Michigan State Spartans, go to The Only Colors. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NCAA Football hub at SBNation.com/NCAA-Football.

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Monty Madaris Commits

Michigan State is hoping for a strong finish to its 2012 football recruiting class, and the Spartans are on track to make that happen with wide receiver Monty Madaris committing on Sunday night. Madaris, a native of Cincinnati, picked Michigan State over his hometown team, the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Madaris is considered a four-star wide receiver on three of the four major recruiting sites. Scout, ESPN and 24/7 Sports all give him four stars, and Rivals is the only site to rank him as a three-star recruit.

According to Rivals, Madaris' offer list includes Michigan State, Cincinnati, Michigan, Kentucky, Boston College, Florida State, Indiana, Louisville and Nebraska, among other schools.

Madaris is the fourth wide receiver from the class of 2012 to commit to MSU. He joins Aaron Burbridge, Kyle Kerrick and MacGarrett Kings, who have been committed to MSU since last summer. With MSU also adding DeAnthony Arnett, a transfer from Tennessee, a lot of talent is coming in at the wide receiver position.

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012

1. DB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 195 lbs., ***
2. OL Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., ***
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., ***
4. TE/DE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., ***
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., ***
6. WR Kyle Kerrick (Coatesville, PA) - 6'3", 183 lbs., ***
7. LB Jamal Lyles (Southfield, MI) - 6'3", 215 lbs., ****
8. TE/DE Josiah Price (Greentown, IN) - 6'5", 239 lbs., ***
9. RB Nick Tompkins (Snellville, GA) - 5'10", 185 lbs., ***
10. WR MacGarrett Kings (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - 5'11", 178 lbs., ***
11. WR Aaron Burbridge (Farmington Hills, MI) - 6'1", 175 lbs., ****
12. DB Jermaine Edmondson (Canton, OH) - 6'1", 170 lbs., ***
13. OT Kodi Kieler (Gibraltar, MI) - 6'6", 305 lbs., ***
14. CB Ezra Robinson (Sarasota, FL) - 6'0", 174 lbs., ***
15. S Mark Meyers (Toledo, OH) - 6'0", 180 lbs., ***
16. DT David Fennell (Portland, OR) - 6'3", 275 lbs., NR
17. WR Monty Madaris (Cincinnati, OH) - 6'2", 190 lbs., ***

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

For more on the Michigan State Spartans, go to The Only Colors. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NCAA Football hub at SBNation.com/NCAA-Football.

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Mark Meyers, David Fennell Commit

After going more than two months without adding anybody to its 2012 football recruiting class, Michigan State picked up commitments from two players on Sunday: Ohio safety Mark Meyers and Oregon defensive tackle David Fennell.

Meyers, who decommitted from Toledo, his hometown school, is ranked as a three-star recruit on Rivals, Scout and ESPN. 24/7 Sports only rates him as a two-star safety. Rivals lists offers from Michigan State, Toledo, Akron, Bowling Green and Kent State.

Fennell hails from Portland and is considered a three-star defensive tackle by ESPN and 24/7 Sports. Scout has not yet rated Fennell, and Rivals doesn't even have him in their database. Although Michigan State is his only listed offer on those sites, ESPN reports that he has offers from Michigan State, Louisville, Oregon State, Iowa, Central Michigan, Nevada and North Dakota.

With signing day only a little more than a week away, Michigan State now has 16 commits for 2012.

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012

1. DB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 195 lbs., ***
2. OL Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., ***
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., ***
4. TE/DE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., ***
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., ***
6. WR Kyle Kerrick (Coatesville, PA) - 6'3", 183 lbs., ***
7. LB Jamal Lyles (Southfield, MI) - 6'3", 215 lbs., ****
8. TE/DE Josiah Price (Greentown, IN) - 6'5", 239 lbs., ***
9. RB Nick Tompkins (Snellville, GA) - 5'10", 185 lbs., ***
10. WR MacGarrett Kings (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - 5'11", 178 lbs., ***
11. WR Aaron Burbridge (Farmington Hills, MI) - 6'1", 175 lbs., ****
12. DB Jermaine Edmondson (Canton, OH) - 6'1", 170 lbs., ***
13. OT Kodi Kieler (Gibraltar, MI) - 6'6", 305 lbs., ***
14. CB Ezra Robinson (Sarasota, FL) - 6'0", 174 lbs., ***
15. S Mark Meyers (Toledo, OH) - 6'0", 180 lbs., ***
16. DT David Fennell (Portland, OR) - 6'3", 275 lbs., NR

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

Ohio State Sanctions Won't Cause Bri'onte Dunn, Se'Von Pittman To Decommit

On Tuesday, the NCAA announced Ohio State's sanctions for the numerous violations that were discovered over the last 12 months. Among the sanctions are a one-year postseason ban (for 2012) and the loss of nine scholarships over the next three seasons.

Predictably, one of the biggest questions that arose in the wake of the NCAA's announcement was about how Ohio State's recruiting would be affected by the sanctions. Although recruits knew sanctions were coming, the severity was not known until Tuesday. In the grand scheme of things, Ohio State got off pretty easy all things considered, but the school seemed to be taken by surprise by the bowl ban.

In just the last week, Ohio State has done quite a bit on the recruiting trail. In addition to getting Bri'onte Dunn to reaffirm his commitment after seriously looking at Michigan, Urban Meyer also got Se'Von Pittman to decommit from Michigan State to Ohio State, Tommy Schutt to decommit from Penn State to Ohio State and Noah Spence to commit to Ohio State. Are any of these players suddenly rethinking their decision now that the sanctions are out? It doesn't sound like it, at least not for Dunn and Pittman. From Ari Wasserman:

Se'Von Pittman and Bri'onte Dunn will both remain committed to Ohio State.

As soon as Jim Tressel resigned and Dunn started looking at schools other than Ohio State, his father said that a bowl ban would be a big deal in his son's recruitment. It turns out, apparently, that missing a bowl for one season isn't that big of a deal to Dunn after all, or at least not enough for him to reconsider his commitment. That's a big change from the summer and even the fall.

For Ohio State, it looks like the most damage by the NCAA scandal has already been done.

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Se'Von Pittman Decommits To Ohio State

The impact of Ohio State hiring Urban Meyer is already being felt around the Big Ten. Meyer hasn't even coached the team yet, but he is doing quite the job on the recruiting trail, as evidenced by what has transpired in the last couple days.

In addition to getting five-star defensive tackle Tommy Schutt to decommit from Penn State to Ohio State and five-star running back Bri'onte Dunn to reaffirm his commitment to the Buckeyes, Meyer stole Se'Von Pittman from Michigan State. Pittman, a four-star defensive end and one of the top players from Ohio for 2012, committed to the Spartans back in June. This came after Pittman had expressed great interest in Michigan, so it was a big pickup for Michigan State.

Even before Meyer was hired, Pittman seemed to be wavering with his commitment. This had been building for months, and after officially visiting Ohio State last week, Pittman decided to make the switch from Michigan State to Ohio State.

Pittman's decommitment leaves MSU with 14 commitments for 2012.

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012

1. DB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 195 lbs., ***
2. OL Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., ***
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., ***
4. TE/DE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., ***
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., ***
6. WR Kyle Kerrick (Coatesville, PA) - 6'3", 183 lbs., ***
7. LB Jamal Lyles (Southfield, MI) - 6'3", 215 lbs., ***
8. TE/DE Josiah Price (Greentown, IN) - 6'5", 239 lbs., ***
9. RB Nick Tompkins (Snellville, GA) - 5'10", 185 lbs., ***
10. WR MacGarrett Kings (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - 5'11", 178 lbs., ***
11. WR Aaron Burbridge (Farmington Hills, MI) - 6'1", 175 lbs., ****
12. DB Jermaine Edmondson (Canton, OH) - 6'1", 170 lbs., ***
13. OT Kodi Kieler (Gibraltar, MI) - 6'6", 305 lbs., ***
14. CB Ezra Robinson (Sarasota, FL) - 6'0", 174 lbs., ***

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Ezra Robinson Commits

Things had been pretty quiet on the recruiting front for Michigan State before Thursday. That is when the Spartans picked up their first football commitment since August. Florida cornerback Ezra Robinson committed to Michigan State, and he is the 15th member of the 2012 recruiting class.

Robinson is rated as a three-star corner on Rivals, Scout and 24/7 Sports. (ESPN hasn't rated him yet.) He is the 51st ranked cornerback on Rivals and No. 103 on Scout. 24/7 Sports actually has him listed as a safety and ranks him 46th at that position.

In addition to Michigan State, the following schools have offered Robinson, according to Rivals: Boston College, Duke, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Minnesota, North Carolina, NC State, Purdue, South Florida, Wake Forest and West Virginia, among others.

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012

1. DB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 195 lbs., ***
2. OL Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., ***
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., ***
4. TE/DE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., ***
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., ***
6. DE Se'Von Pittman (Canton, OH) - 6'5", 245 lbs., ****
7. WR Kyle Kerrick (Coatesville, PA) - 6'3", 183 lbs., ***
8. LB Jamal Lyles (Southfield, MI) - 6'3", 215 lbs., ***
9. TE/DE Josiah Price (Greentown, IN) - 6'5", 239 lbs., ***
10. RB Nick Tompkins (Snellville, GA) - 5'10", 185 lbs., ***
11. WR MacGarrett Kings (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - 5'11", 178 lbs., ***
12. WR Aaron Burbridge (Farmington Hills, MI) - 6'1", 175 lbs., ****
13. DB Jermaine Edmondson (Canton, OH) - 6'1", 170 lbs., ***
14. OT Kodi Kieler (Gibraltar, MI) - 6'6", 305 lbs., ***
15. CB Ezra Robinson (Sarasota, FL) - 6'0", 174 lbs., ***

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Kodi Kieler Commits

Michigan State picked up commitment No. 14 for the class of 2012 on Monday. Offensive tackle Kodi Kieler, who is from Gibraltar, Michigan, committed to the Spartans after picking up an offer.

Kieler is unrated on all of the major recruiting sites aside from Scout, which gives him three stars. He is ranked 75th on Scout's list of the top offensive tackles in the nation.

According to Rivals, Kieler's offer list includes MSU, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Minnesota, Northern Illinois, Purdue, Toledo and Western Michigan.

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012

1. DB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 195 lbs., ***
2. OL Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., ***
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., ***
4. TE/DE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., ***
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., ***
6. DE Se'Von Pittman (Canton, OH) - 6'5", 245 lbs., ****
7. WR Kyle Kerrick (Coatesville, PA) - 6'3", 183 lbs., ***
8. LB Jamal Lyles (Southfield, MI) - 6'3", 215 lbs., ***
9. TE/DE Josiah Price (Greentown, IN) - 6'5", 239 lbs., ***
10. RB Nick Tompkins (Snellville, GA) - 5'10", 185 lbs., ***
11. WR MacGarrett Kings (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - 5'11", 178 lbs., ***
12. WR Aaron Burbridge (Farmington Hills, MI) - 6'1", 175 lbs., ****
13. DB Jermaine Edmondson (Canton, OH) - 6'1", 170 lbs., ***
14. OT Kodi Kieler (Gibraltar, MI) - 6'6", 305 lbs., NR

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Aaron Burbridge, Jermaine Edmondson Commit

Michigan State picked up two football commitments on Thursday for the class of 2012, including one from the second best player in the state of Michigan. I'm referring to wide receiver Aaron Burbridge, who is from Farmington Hills and is ranked second on Rivals' list of the top recruits in Michigan. He decided to commit following a visit to East Lansing this week, and Ohio defensive back Jermaine Edmonson also committed before the day was over.

Burbridge is a four-star WR on all of the major recruiting sites. Rivals ranks him 19th at WR and 134th overall in the nation. Rivals also lists offers for Burbridge from Michigan State, Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State, among others.

For the last few months Burbridge's recruitment became a two-school race between MSU and Michigan. With two of his high school teammates already committed to Michigan, it looked like Burbridge might decide to choose the Wolverines, but he picked the Spartans instead. If he qualifies, MSU will get a very talented player and someone that can be a playmaker for years to come.

As for Edmondson, he is a three-star safety on Rivals and a three-star cornerback on Scout and ESPN. His offer list, according to Rivals, includes Michigan State, Illinois, Louisville, Nebraska, Purdue and Toledo, among others.

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012

1. DB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 195 lbs., ***
2. OL Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., ***
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., ***
4. TE/DE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., ***
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., ***
6. DE Se'Von Pittman (Canton, OH) - 6'5", 245 lbs., ****
7. WR Kyle Kerrick (Coatesville, PA) - 6'3", 183 lbs., ***
8. LB Jamal Lyles (Southfield, MI) - 6'3", 215 lbs., ***
9. TE/DE Josiah Price (Greentown, IN) - 6'5", 239 lbs., ***
10. RB Nick Tompkins (Snellville, GA) - 5'10", 185 lbs., ***
11. WR MacGarrett Kings (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - 5'11", 178 lbs., ***
12. WR Aaron Burbridge (Farmington Hills, MI) - 6'1", 175 lbs., ****
13. DB Jermaine Edmondson (Canton, OH) - 6'1", 170 lbs., ***

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

Michigan State Football Recruiting: MacGarrett Kings Commits

Earlier this week Michigan State added its 11th member of the 2012 football recruiting class when MacGarrett Kings committed to the Spartans. Kings, a wide receiver from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, attended a camp at MSU earlier this week and quickly decided he wanted to become a future Spartan.

Kings is rated by all of the recruiting sites as a three-star recruit. Rivals ranks him 78th at WR, whereas Scout has him 52nd in the nation at running back. ESPN ranks him 121st at wide receiver, and 24/7 Sports doesn't have him in the wide receiver or running back rankings.

According to Rivals, Kings' offer list includes Michigan State, Boston College, Cincinnati, Louisville, Rutgers, South Florida, UCF, Wake Forest, West Virginia and Wisconsin, among others.

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012

1. DB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 195 lbs., ***
2. OL Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., ***
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., ***
4. TE/DE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., ***
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., ***
6. DE Se'Von Pittman (Canton, OH) - 6'5", 245 lbs., ****
7. WR Kyle Kerrick (Coatesville, PA) - 6'3", 183 lbs., ***
8. LB Jamal Lyles (Southfield, MI) - 6'3", 215 lbs., ***
9. TE/DE Josiah Price (Greentown, IN) - 6'5", 239 lbs., ***
10. RB Nick Tompkins (Snellville, GA) - 5'10", 185 lbs., ***
11. WR MacGarrett Kings (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - 5'11", 178 lbs., ***

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Tyler O'Connor Named To Elite 11

Every year the nation's best quarterback recruits come together to compete in the Elite 11 camp. This year's Elite 11 camp will include the likes of Gunner Kiel, Zeke Pike and Michigan State commit Tyler O'Connor. Those three players and a total of 24 quarterback recruits were named to the 2011 Elite 11 roster on Thursday.

This year's Elite 11 event will take place from July 18 to July 22 at Pepperdine University in California. The competition will be filmed and shown in two parts on ESPN on Aug. 12 and 19. It is tied in to ESPN's "Year of the Quarterback" series.

Below is a full list of the 24 quarterbacks that were invited to the event (via ESPN).

Austin Appleby – Hoover – North Canton, Ohio – 6’4", 215 lbs. - PURDUE
Connor Brewer – Chaparral – Scottsdale, Ariz. – 6’2", 190 lbs. - TEXAS
Neal Burcham – Greenbrier – Greenbrier, Ark. – 6’2", 190 lbs.
Tyler Cameron – Jupiter – Jupiter, Fla. – 6’3", 215 lbs.
Preston Dewey – St. Andrew’s Episcopal – Austin, Texas – 6’3", 200 lbs. – MIAMI-FL
Shane Dillon – El Cajon Christian – El Cajon, Calif. – 6’5", 185 lbs. - COLORADO
Bart Houston – De La Salle – Concord, Calif. – 6’3", 210 lbs. - WISCONSIN
Chad Kelly – St. Joseph’s – Buffalo. N.Y. – 6’2", 200 lbs. - CLEMSON
Gunner Kiel – Columbus East – Columbus, Ind. – 6’4", 220 lbs.
Zach Kline – San Ramon Valley – Danville, Calif. – 6’2", 205 lbs. - CALIFORNIA
Jeff Lindquist – Mercer Island – Mercer Island, Wash. – 6’3", 225 lbs. - WASHINGTON
Tanner Mangum – Eagle – Eagle, Idaho – 6’2", 195 lbs. - BYU
Tyler Matthews – McPherson – McPherson, Kan. – 6’2", 195 lbs. - TCU
Cyler Miles – Mullen – Denver, Colo. – 6’4", 220 - WASHINGTON
Tyler O’Connor – Lima Central Catholic – Lima, Ohio – 6’2", 205 lbs. – MICHIGAN STATE
Nick Patti – Dr. Phillips – Orlando, Fla. – 5’10", 195 lbs. – BOISE STATE
Zeke Pike – Dixie Heights – Fort Mitchell, Ky. – 6’5", 230 lbs. - AUBURN
Patton Robinette – Maryville – Maryville, Tenn. – 6’4", 190 lbs. – NORTH CAROLINA
Jake Rodrigues – Whitney – Rocklin, Calif. – 6’2", 210 lbs. - OREGON
Grant Rohach – Moorpark – Moorpark, Calif. – 6’2", 185 lbs. – IOWA STATE
Patrick Towles – Highlands – Fort Thomas, Ky. – 6’5", 225 lbs. - KENTUCKY
Chad Voytik – Cleveland – Cleveland, Tenn. – 6’1", 195 lbs.
Travis Wilson – San Clemente – San Clemente, Calif. – 6’6", 215 lbs. - UTAH
Jameis Winston – Hueytown – Hueytown, Ala. – 6’4", 200 lbs.

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Nick Tompkins Commits

Before last Sunday, Michigan State had five commitments for its 2012 football recruiting class. Amazingly, the Spartans picked up as many commitments in the last week alone, with the latest being Georgia running back Nick Tompkins. He committed to Michigan State on Sunday to become the fifth new recruit of the week and the 10th recruit overall to join the Spartans' 2012 class.

Tompkins is considered an all-purpose running back by Rivals, which gives him three stars. Scout and ESPN also have Tompkins listed as a three-star recruit. 24/7 Sports has not yet evaluated him.

According to Rivals, Tompkins has a lengthy offer list. It includes MSU, Army, Boston College, California, Cincinnati, Duke, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Purdue, Vanderbilt, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin, among others.

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012

1. DB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 195 lbs., ***
2. OL Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., ***
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., ***
4. TE/DE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., ***
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., ***
6. DE Se'Von Pittman (Canton, OH) - 6'5", 245 lbs., ****
7. WR Kyle Kerrick (Coatesville, PA) - 6'3", 183 lbs., ***
8. LB Jamal Lyles (Southfield, MI) - 6'3", 215 lbs., ***
9. TE/DE Josiah Price (Greentown, IN) - 6'5", 239 lbs., ***
10. RB Nick Tompkins (Snellville, GA) - 5'10", 185 lbs., ***

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Jamal Lyles, Josiah Price Commit

A day after getting a commitment from Kyle Kerrick, the Michigan State football program picked up two more commitments on Thursday. Jamal Lyles, a linebacker from Southfield, Michigan, was the first to drop for the Spartans, and shortly after Indiana tight end/defensive end Josiah Price joined him as a Michigan State commitment.

Lyles is a three-star outside linebacker on Rivals, which ranks him 44th in the nation at his position. Scout, ESPN and 24/7 Sports also give Lyles three stars.

Price is listed as a tight end by Rivals, which gives him three stars. Scout and 24/7 Sports have him listed as a tight end and defensive end, and each site gives him three stars as well. ESPN also has Price listed as a three-star recruit, but he is considered only a defensive end.

Lyles' offer list, according to Rivals, includes Michigan State, Akron, Cincinnati, Illinois, Iowa, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Syracuse, Toledo, Vanderbilt and Western Michigan.

Price has offers from Michigan State, Akron, Arkansas State, Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Miami (Ohio), Minnesota, Northern Illinois, Purdue, Toledo and Western Michigan, according to Rivals.

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012

1. DB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 195 lbs., ***
2. OL Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., ***
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., ***
4. TE/DE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., ***
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., ***
6. DE Se'Von Pittman (Canton, OH) - 6'5", 245 lbs., ****
7. WR Kyle Kerrick (Coatesville, PA) - 6'3", 183 lbs., ***
8. LB Jamal Lyles (Southfield, MI) - 6'3", 215 lbs., ***
9. TE/DE Josiah Price (Greentown, IN) - 6'5", 239 lbs., ***

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Kyle Kerrick Commits

Michigan State football picked up a commitment on Wednesday from Kyle Kerrick, a wide receiver from Coatesville, Pennsylvania. He is the Spartans' seventh commitment for the 2012 football recruiting class.

Kerrick has only been evaluated by Rivals and Scout so far. Both sites give him three stars. Scout ranks him as the No. 72 wide receiver in the nation and notes that he caught 30 passes for 510 yards and 11 touchdowns during his junior season.

Kerrick's commitment was so sudden that Rivals doesn't even have Michigan State on his list of schools in consideration. In fact, on Rivals only Pittsburgh and West Virginia are shown to have offered Kerrick. His offer list on Scout includes Michigan State, Akron, Cincinnati, Illinois, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Temple and West Virginia.

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012

1. DB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 195 lbs., ***
2. OL Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., ***
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., ***
4. TE/DE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., ***
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., ***
6. DE Se'Von Pittman (Canton, OH) - 6'5", 245 lbs., ****
7. WR Kyle Kerrick (Coatesville, PA) - 6'3", 183 lbs., ***

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Se'Von Pittman Commits

Michigan State football picked up a big commitment on Sunday when Ohio defensive end Se'Von Pittman picked the Spartans. For a while it looked like Pittman would end up committing to Ohio State or Michigan, but Mark Dantonio and company were the winners in this recruiting battle.

Pittman is a four-star recruit on Rivals, which ranks him as the No. 8 defensive end and the No. 61 player in the entire nation. Scout also gives him four stars and has him ranked 11th among defensive ends. ESPN has him as a four-star DE as well, ranking him 14th at his position and 101st overall. Finally, 24/7 Sports rounds out the praise for Pittman by also giving him four stars and ranking him 16th at DE, 10th in Ohio and 196th in the nation.

Perhaps even more impressive than the recruiting sites' opinion of Pittman is his offer list. In addition to Michigan State, Michigan and Ohio State, Pittman holds offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Notre Dame, Tennessee and West Virginia, according to Rivals.

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012

1. DB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 195 lbs., ***
2. OL Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., ***
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., ***
4. TE/DE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., ***
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., ***
6. DE Se'Von Pittman (Canton, OH) - 6'5", 245 lbs., ****

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Rivals Gives Out Stars To All 5 Commits

When Tyler O'Connor picked Michigan State earlier this month, becoming the fifth recruit for 2012 to do so, Rivals still had not yet handed out stars to any of the Spartans' commits. All were unrated on Rivals, but that is no longer the case.

Rivals evaluated many prospects this week and gave out stars, and each of MSU's five commits received three stars. On Scout, that is also the case. On 24/7 Sports, however, O'Connor has four stars. The rest of the commits have three stars, which is sort of how things are on ESPN. The only difference is Ben McGowan is the commit with four stars and the rest (except for Evan Jones, who hasn't been evaluated) have three stars.

Here is a full look at MSU's current commits:

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012

1. DB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 195 lbs., ***
2. OL Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., ***
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., ***
4. TE/DE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., ***
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., ***

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Tyler O'Connor Commits

The Michigan State football program picked up commitment No. 5 on Monday. Tyler O'Connor, a quarterback from Lima, Ohio, chose the Spartans over Northwestern, giving MSU its first commit since Evan Jones joined the 2012 recruiting class on May 7.

O'Connor has three stars on Scout, which ranks him as the 38th-best QB in the nation. 24/7 Sports has him rated as a four-star QB. Rivals and ESPN have yet to evaluate him.

According to Rivals, O'Connor's offer list includes MSU, Boston College, Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Virginia and West Virginia, among others.

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012

1. DB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 195 lbs., NR
2. OL Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., NR
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., NR
4. TE/DE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., NR
5. QB Tyler O'Connor (Lima, OH) - 6'3", 202 lbs., NR

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Evan Jones Commits

Michigan State's football program picked up a commitment on Saturday from Ohio tight end/defensive end Evan Jones. He is the fourth recruit for the class of 2012 to commit to the Spartans. The other three committed last Saturday at Michigan State's spring game.

Jones is from West Lafayette, Ohio, meaning three of Michigan State's commits for 2012 are from Ohio (Zach Higgins and Benny McGowan are the other two). Riley Bullough is currently MSU's only commit from Michigan.

Jones has not been rated by any of the major recruiting sites yet. His offer list includes Michigan State, Akron, Bowling Green, Toledo and West Virginia.

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012

1. DB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 195 lbs., NR
2. OL Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., NR
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., NR
4. TE/DE Evan Jones (West Lafayette, OH) - 6'6", 240 lbs., NR

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)

Michigan State Football Recruiting: Spartans Gain 3 Commits

Before Saturday, the Michigan State football program didn't have a single commitment for the 2012 recruiting class. That all changed on Saturday with many recruits visiting for the Spartans' spring game. It's only the afternoon and already the Spartans have added three commitments for the class of 2012: Riley Bullough, Zach Higgins and Benny McGowan.

Bullough is a defensive back from Traverse City's St. Francis Catholic High School. He is also the younger brother of Max Bullough, a linebacker at Michigan State. Bullough has three stars on Scout and hasn't been evaluated on the other sites. His offer list includes Cincinnati, Iowa, Wisconsin and, of course, Michigan State.

Higgins is an offensive lineman from Alliance, Ohio. He also has three stars and hasn't been evaluated on other sites just yet. Schools that have offered Higgins, in addition to Michigan State, are Akron, Ball State, Cincinnati, Ohio, Toledo and West Virginia.

McGowan is another offensive lineman from Ohio. Specifically, he is a guard from Centerville. Like the other two new commits, McGowan has three stars and Scout and hasn't been evaluated yet by Rivals and ESPN, although the latter does have him on their ESPNU 150 watch list. His list of offers includes Michigan State, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Iowa, Ohio, Toledo and UCLA.

Michigan State Football Recruiting Class Of 2012

1. DB Riley Bullough (Traverse City, MI) - 6'2", 195 lbs., NR
2. OL Zach Higgins (Alliance, OH) - 6'5", 305 lbs., NR
3. OG Benny McGowan (Centerville, OH) - 6'4", 290 lbs., NR

(Height, weight and stars from Rivals.com)