Michigan State football’s top TE target earns huge praise

Michigan State football is targeting four-star tight end Jelani Thurman to pair with Brennan Parachek in the 2022 class and he’s a special talent.

It’s been a while since Michigan State football really had an All-American caliber tight end on its roster, but that could soon change.

While Maliq Carr and Luke Nickel have all-conference potential, at least, and the same goes for Illinois transfer Daniel Barker, the Spartans are still looking for that next superstar tight end and he could come in with the 2023 recruiting class.

Four-star Brennan Parachek is already committed, but there’s another priority target at the position who may have the most potential of any tight end Michigan State has recruited in years.

Jelani Thurman might just be ‘that dude’ at tight end.

Thurman is a four-star from Fairburn, Ga., with connections to the state of Michigan as his mom, Kara Braxton, played in the WNBA for the Detroit Shock from 2005-08. He’s ranked the No. 133 overall recruit and ninth-best tight end in the 2023 class, according to the composite.

And he’s earning some lofty praise.

In fact, a Georgia-based photographer said that Thurman is the best tight end prospect he’s seen in person since Arik Gilbert.

This is incredibly high praise considering Gilbert may be college football’s most talented tight end.

If Thurman is anything like Gilbert and Michigan State is able to land him over Ohio State, Auburn, and Alabama, Michigan State could finally have that All-American tight end.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound tight end from Georgia is going to be a tough recruit to land over a couple of top SEC programs and Ohio State but Mel Tucker and Co. are doing a great job recruiting him.