Michigan State Football: Mark Dantonio doesn’t need ‘stars’ to win
By Stephen Robb
Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio hasn’t gotten all the ‘stars’ in recruiting, but he still knows how to win.
It was a rough season for Michigan State football and has been an equally disastrous recruiting offseason. The Spartans have whiffed on many highly ranked recruits in the last few weeks.
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I was surprised by the last few weeks of the misses the Spartans have had on the recruiting trail. I also cracked a smile when a recruit recently said he was going to Michigan to win championships. It was ironic because Michigan hadn’t won anything in the last ten years. Plus, they’re also losing much to graduation, therefore, next year will be a transition year for the maize and blue.
It all reminded me of Drake Harris’ statement about why he choose the Wolverines over the Spartans, it was about going there to win championships. All the Spartans went on to do was be in the College Football Playoff and win the Big Ten Championship. Losing out on Harris seemed like the MSU program was down, much like when Deron Irving-Bey choose Michigan as well as Ambry Thomas doing the same.
This is nothing new.
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Despite MSU’s recent success, this is what the road it has always been for the Spartans and it may always have to be that way. True, they had great recent recruiting classes, yet some of their high profile players were unable to live up to the hype.
Many years ago MSU missed again on a recruit this time losing out to Ohio State for the services of Deron Grant. The Spartans had to go with a little known player in Trae Waynes and the rest is history. Waynes was a first-rounder and helped them to Rose and Cotton Bowl victories. Dantonio does not need stars to win, just team players.
The Big Ten East might be the best division in college football. Three of the best recruiters are in the conference in Urban Meyer, Jim Harbaugh and James Franklin. Why would we wonder that in a down year Dantonio is having a difficult time recruiting?
Recruiting competition is like chum in the shark infested water. MSU’s 3-9 season was the chum that coaches feed off of when going head to head for prospects. What is Dantonio to do? Go back to what made MSU great, two and three-star recruits. It’s not sexy or glamorous, but it works. For Dantonio those two and three-star recruits have been workhorses like Joel Forman, Kirk Cousins, Trae Waynes, Le’Veon Bell, Tyler Hoover and Chris McDonald. The list could go on.
There were certainly some misses for Dantonio in this most recent senior class, however, there have been more “bulls-eyes” for him in the past. He is an excellent talent evaluator and he will continue to mine for prospects. Therefore, come down off the ledge Spartan fan, all is not lost.
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Do not be surprised if he is able to bring some hidden gems out of the south in the next few weeks. This is what he does. The Michigans, Ohio States and Penn States of the world will always get their guy. Dantonio understands how to win with less and does.
Dantonio does not need stars to win.