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Michigan State Recruiting: 10 priority 2017 football targets to watch for

By Connor Muldowney

Dec 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio celebrates after the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference football championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Michigan State won 16-13. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio celebrates after the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference football championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Michigan State won 16-13. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio celebrates after the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference football championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Michigan State won 16-13. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio celebrates after the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference football championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Michigan State won 16-13. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports /

Which 10 priority 2017 Michigan State Recruiting targets for football will the Spartans seek to add?

Michigan State recruiting saw a successful 2016 football class headlined by guys such as Josh King, Donnie Corley, Cam Chambers, Justin Layne and Messiah deWeaver, among others. Mark Dantonio has put together his best group since taking the head coaching job at Michigan State and there might be no stopping him.

The 2017 class has a chance to be even more star-studded than the 2016 group, and that really is a scary thought. The Spartans have built for the future, and the future is as bright as ever.

Sure, losing Connor Cook, Shilique Calhoun, Jack Allen, Darien Harris, Jack Conklin and others from the 2015 team that made the College Football Playoff was rough, but returning a ton of younger talent and bringing in a top-20 class is a recipe for success.

Let’s take a look at the 10 priority recruits in which the Spartans need to make a push for in the 2017 class.

Note: Hunter Rison is not included because he’s a given. I have no doubt he will eventually pick the green and white.

Dec 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back Madre London (28) and running back Delton Williams (22) before the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back Madre London (28) and running back Delton Williams (22) before the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

Jarell White is one of those guys who just needs an offer and he will likely pull the trigger. The three-star running back from Cincinnati, Ohio, has been high on the Spartans for some time and he’d be a solid addition to the backfield when both Madre London and L.J. Scott are juniors and Gerald Holmes is a senior.

Michigan State didn’t take a running back in the 2016 class because of the Abdul Adams’ decommitment and George Hill’s decision to pick Pitt and Narduzzi over the Spartans and Dantonio. Let’s not forget the whole Miles Sanders recruitment as well.

That makes 2017 a crucial year for running backs and the Spartans could look to add one of the better up-and-coming players in the country who had split time in the backfield at his own high school and is still a fringe four-star.

White is ranked the No. 292 overall player and the 22nd-best running back in the 2017 class, according to 247Sports.

Next: 9. JaVonte Richardson, WR

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