Michigan State football makes cut for 4-star in-state LB Michael Williams

Although the 2021 class has not been sewn up, Michigan State football has its sights set on 2022 with four-star linebacker Michael Williams.

In-state recruiting is going to start heating up more and more over the next few years, especially with Jim Harbaugh back and Mel Tucker gaining ground.

Tucker won his first battle over Harbaugh this cycle with Rayshaun Benny committing to the Spartans after looking like a Michigan lock for months. Well, with the 2021 class almost sewn up, the second-year head coach will be looking at 2022 to try and lure the best in-state prospects and gain recruiting momentum.

One of the names to keep an eye on in the 2022 cycle is four-star linebacker Michael Williams from West Bloomfield.

On Tuesday, the four-star listed his top 10 schools and Michigan State made the cut, along with the Wolverines, of course.

Also making the cut were Maryland, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Syracuse, Indiana, Ole Miss and Tennessee. It’s an interesting variety of programs, but it may just come down to an in-state battle between Michigan and Michigan State — things will get interesting now with his former head coach Ron Bellamy joining the Wolverines’ staff as a receivers coach.

Williams is the second 2022 in-state prospect in as many days to list the Spartans in his trimmed list of schools, joining four-star safety Myles Rowser, a former Michigan commit.

Michigan State is also trying to land Williams’ teammate, four-star running back Dillon Tatum who backed up Michigan pledge Donovan Edwards.

Williams is listed as the No. 259 overall prospect, 20th-best linebacker and No. 6 prospect from the state of Michigan for 2022, according to 247Sports.

Tucker is showing off his recruiting chops and he may just steal another top prospect from the rival Wolverines.