Michigan State Football: 4-star OT Payton Kirkland closing in on decision

Michigan State football could be close to landing four-star offensive tackle Payton Kirkland who is closing in on a decision.

Recruiting can be a stressful time for high school athletes. Every recruit deals with the process in a different way and some need to step away in order to find more clarity.

Top Michigan State football target Payton Kirkland has realized this.

The four-star offensive tackle from Orlando, Fla., is supposed to make his official decision on July 23 — this is what he announced on Twitter in May — but there’s always a possibility that it could come sooner or later. He announced on Tuesday that he was shutting off his phone and stepping away to really think about his decision.

Starting his tweet with “July 1” could imply that he’s going to move his decision up a few weeks or it could just mean he’s staying off Twitter for the next few days in order to free his mind before making a decision. If I were to guess, I’d say he would be moving his decision date up.

At the very least, he’ll be taking the next few days to narrow down his options and make a decision which could very well be Michigan State as that’s where the current trend is heading.

The Spartans were the recipients of a handful of recent crystal ball predictions for Kirkland and if they do land him, that would help them pick up a commitment from Miles McVay as well.

If he were to make a decision today, I think Michigan State would be the choice.

Kirkland is the No. 261 overall recruit and No. 25 offensive tackle in the class, per the composite. Florida, Miami, Alabama, and Oklahoma are also high on his list.