Michigan State Football: 3-star DE Parks Gissinger commits
Michigan State football received a commitment from three-star 2018 defensive end Parks Gissinger on Thursday.
It’s always nice to get a commitment from an impressive recruit at a position of need, but it’s even better when the pledge is a shock. On Thursday afternoon, three-star defensive end Parks Gissinger committed to Michigan State football’s 2018 class.
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Not many had Gissinger on the radar and it’s even more shocking because no recruiting services had him visiting Michigan State in the past.
Either way, you can bet Mark Dantonio will get him onto campus as soon as possible and he’s got to be happy with the commitment. The three-star from West Hills, Calif., announced his pledge to Michigan State via Twitter Thursday.
COMMITTED! pic.twitter.com/UInwC8vQZu
— Parks (@ParksGissinger) July 20, 2017
While this commitment might seem like a surprise to the casual fan, Land of 10‘s Luke Srodulski revealed why it made sense, stating that OC Dave Warner and Gissinger’s father were teammates at Syracuse.
Moreover, Syracuse had extended an offer to the California-native, but he also received scholarships from the likes of Boston College, Harvard, Iowa State, Kentucky, San Diego State, Vanderbilt and Yale. Clearly, he’s a pretty smart kid.
Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing in at about 227 pounds, Gissinger has the ability to play multiple positions, including tight end, but is likely being recruited by the Spartans as a defensive end.
Although he’s not the biggest kid on the field, he is quick and has the ability to run ball-carriers down from behind. He has a high motor and isn’t an overpowering presence on the defensive line, but that could change with some added weight and muscle.
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Gissinger is listed as a three-star prospect on 247Sports, but some services, including ESPN have him listed as a four-star. He’s ranked the No. 767 recruit in the composite rankings as well as the 38th-best weak-side defensive end in the 2018 class.