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Michigan State Football: Grading the Spartans’ 2018 recruiting class

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - OCTOBER 21: Running back LJ Scott #3 of the Michigan State Spartans high-steps into the end zone to score against the Indiana Hoosiers on an 18-yard run during the fourth quarter at Spartan Stadium on October 21, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State defeated Indiana 17-9. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - OCTOBER 21: Running back LJ Scott #3 of the Michigan State Spartans high-steps into the end zone to score against the Indiana Hoosiers on an 18-yard run during the fourth quarter at Spartan Stadium on October 21, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State defeated Indiana 17-9. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) /
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Michigan State football’s 2018 recruiting class is all sewn up, for the most part, so how does it grade out by position group?

When you look at what kind of impact Michigan State’s 2017 recruiting class had on last season, you’d be forced to realize that player rankings don’t often matter. Sure, blue-chip recruits are nice to reel in, but when a coaching staff develops players better than most, three-stars can turn into future NFL All-Pro players.

Perfect examples of players exceeding their star ratings last season were Jacub Panasiuk, Josiah Scott, Connor Heyward and Cody White. Each of those young players saw an opportunity early on and seized it.

The 2018 class could see more of the same as the Spartans are ranked sixth in the Big Ten and No. 32 in the country, per 247Sports.

How does the 2018 recruiting class grade out, by position?

Offensive Line: B

The offensive line is always crucial for recruiting, but Michigan State doesn’t often get big names there. Usually it’s three-star guys who could develop into potential NFL prospects, but in 2017, the Spartans landed one of the best guards in the class in Kevin Jarvis.

How did they follow that up in 2018?

Michigan State landed mammoth three-star tackle James Ohonba from Georgia who could be the gem of the class. He stands 6-foot-4 and weighs an incredible 345 pounds. He held nearly 20 offers, but chose the Spartans and he could be a rotational player soon enough.

Dimitri Douglas, also a three-star tackle, from Saline, Mich., climbed the rankings a bit before National Signing Day. He finished as the No. 660 overall recruit and 51st-best tackle, per 247Sports. The 6-foot-4, 282-pound lineman is an early enrollee and could be a pleasant surprise.

Last, but certainly not least, is three-star center Jacob Isaia. The grandson of Spartan great Bob Apisa saw his recruitment heat up in 2017, to the tune of over two dozen offers, but he decided to keep Michigan State in the family. Ranked the 16th-best center in the class, Isaia could see the field early on.

Not a bad class on the line overall, but Mark Dantonio would have liked to land other top targets such as Jalen Mayfield or Ryan Hayes — both committed to Michigan.

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