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Michigan State Recruiting: Which 2017 football recruits can help out right away?

By Connor Muldowney

Nov 26, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio with his team prior to the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Michigan State 45-12. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O
Nov 26, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio with his team prior to the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Michigan State 45-12. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O /
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Nov 26, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Michigan State Spartans tight end Josiah Price (82) attempts a catch during the third quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Michigan State 45-12. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O
Nov 26, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Michigan State Spartans tight end Josiah Price (82) attempts a catch during the third quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Michigan State 45-12. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O /

Josiah Price and Jamal Lyles are graduating this year, leaving a void at the tight end position for a young guy like Matt Dotson to fill. Sure, the Spartans have Noah Davis from the 2016 class and Matt Sokol from 2014, but Matt Dotson could be the most athletic of the bunch.

I could see a two-tight end set with Dotson and either Davis or Sokol used next season while fellow 2017 pledge Jack Camper redshirts. The loss of Price and Lyles will be tough to make up for, but Michigan State does have one of the top tight ends in the 2017 class coming to East Lansing in the fall.

Dotson is currently the Spartans’ second-highest ranked recruit in the 2017 class behind Jarvis and he has great size and even better athleticism for the position. If you watch his film, he almost looks like a receiver with the way he runs his routes and makes guys miss in the open field. He has impressive speed for a tight end.

Michigan State needs to utilize tight ends more next season and with a young quarterback likely to start, he will need to have a sure-handed player at the position. Look no further than Dotson who is the ninth-best tight end in the class and could fill in right away — he just needs to adjust to the strength of the collegiate level, blocking-wise.

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