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Michigan State Recruiting: 5 underrated 2017 football targets

By Connor Muldowney

Sep 12, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio looks to his left as he walks off the field before the game against the Oregon Ducks at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio looks to his left as he walks off the field before the game against the Oregon Ducks at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 12, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio looks to his left as he walks off the field before the game against the Oregon Ducks at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio looks to his left as he walks off the field before the game against the Oregon Ducks at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

Michigan State recruiting should keep an eye on these five 2017 underrated football targets.

Adding two more commitments on Monday evening, Michigan State’s 2017 football recruiting class is starting to pick up steam. There’s still plenty of room left in the class, so it may be a while before the books are closed on 2017.

While there are a plethora of top targets still left on the board such as Robert Hainsey, Matt Dotson, Ambry Thomas, Amir Riep, Jeff Thomas, Danny Davis, Scott Nelson, Lynn Bowden and many more, there are still a select few who haven’t gotten as much attention as they should have.

Michigan State has been a program built on the underrated recruits of each class. Mark Dantonio has turned MSU into an elite football program because of his ability to spot diamonds in the rough such as Kirk Cousins, Connor Cook, Shilique Calhoun, Darqueze Dennard, Trae Waynes, Le’Veon Bell and Jeremy Langford, among others.

The 2017 class has the potential to supply a number of players such as the ones mentioned above.

After securing his best-ever recruiting class in 2016, Dantonio is eyeing another underrated group in 2017, and there are a few guys who stick out as the most underrated. These kids are either rarely talked about or just rated lower than they should be.

Keep an eye on these five guys in the coming months as the Spartans could strike gold with them.

5. Jordan Reid, 3-star OG

Dec 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Michigan State Spartans offensive lineman Donavon Clark (76) and Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Ryan Anderson (22) during the game in the 2015 Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Michigan State Spartans offensive lineman Donavon Clark (76) and Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Ryan Anderson (22) during the game in the 2015 Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Michigan State made the top five for Jordan Reid not too long ago and the Detroit Cass Tech offensive guard will have his eye on potential visits this summer.

The offensive line group in this class has been relatively quiet thus far as Kevin Jarvis and Matt Carrick are the only pledges. Reid is a top in-state kid who doesn’t get quite the attention he deserves, playing on the same offensive line as No. 1 Michigan target Michael Onwenu a year ago.

Reid has risen a bit in the ranks over the past year, coming in as the No. 366 overall prospect and 16th-best offensive guard, but he still is an under-the-radar guy.

When talking about Michigan State’s top offensive line targets remaining, it’s usually Hainsey and Joel Honigford and never Reid. The 6-foot-4, 286-pound offensive guard could be a difference-maker in this class.

Next: 4. Naytron Culpepper

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