Michigan State football makes 2023 4-star WR William Fowles’ top 10

Four-star 2023 receiver William Fowles trimmed his offer list down to 10 on Tuesday, and Michigan State football made the cut.

On Tuesday, William Fowles, a 2023 four-star receiver from Hialeah, Fla., trimmed his list down to 10 schools from which he will be entertaining offers.

Those schools are (in no particular order): South Florida, Illinois, Florida, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Florida State, Tennessee, Central Florida, Pittsburgh, and Michigan State.

Meet the recruit: William Fowles

Fowles is a 6-foor-3, 205-pound wide receiver. He is rated as a four-star player and the 292nd best prospect in the country, 39th best wide receiver, and 57th best player in Florida, according to the 247Sports Composite. According to his Hudl, he runs a 4.47 40-yard dash with a 355-pound max squat and 400-pound deadlift as a high school junior.

Breaking down his highlights, the first thing that stands out is his acceleration after the catch. The first play shown has him turn a screen into a 75-yard house call for Dade Christian High School.

The next feature that stands out is his balance. Fowles is a receiver who can take hits, as evidenced when he catches the underthrown ball and proceeds to break two tackles for another long touchdown. His vision is astounding, as he is a player who knows when to cut back or accelerate up the sideline to make the most out of each of his touches. He plays the ball in the air excellently, utilizing his strength, length, and speed to come down with the 50/50 ball. He is an active blocker who is not afraid of contact.

What could he bring to the Spartans?

If the Spartans land Fowles, they’d land their third four-star wide receiver in the last two classes, joining 2022 receivers Germie Bernard and Antonio Gates Jr.

Fowles would bring length to the team, as he would be one of the tallest receivers on the team. With Jayden Reed gone after next year, there will be a hole at the receiver position to be filled. Tre Mosley will have one of the Spartans’ three wide receiver spots alongside whoever steps up this year to fill the void left from Jalen Nailor’s departure to the draft.

While wide receiver is an admittedly stacked position for the Spartans, Fowles’ talent will make it hard to keep him off the field. He will benefit from learning from receivers coach Courtney Hawkins to polish up his route running, and his already impressive strength will only grow from the Spartans’ “Strain Train” regime.

This also shows that head coach Mel Tucker is not willing to rely on what players he has, as he will keep recruiting the top prospects to compete for playing time. In the era of the transfer portal, having a loaded position group is a need.

Closing thoughts

Fowles is a special talent. After watching his junior year highlights, it’s easy to see what Coach Tucker liked in Fowles. He has the measurables and talent to become the next All-Big Ten wideout suiting up for the green and white.

Michigan State and Illinois are the only Big Ten teams still in the running, as Indiana had also offered but did not make his top 10.