Spartan Avenue
Fansided

Michigan State football: Grading the Spartans’ 2023 recruiting class

By Connor Muldowney

Michigan State's head coach Mel Tucker looks on during the first quarter in the game against Indiana on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.221119 Msu Indiana 044a
Michigan State's head coach Mel Tucker looks on during the first quarter in the game against Indiana on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.221119 Msu Indiana 044a /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 7
Next

Running back: C+

Listen, this is not a knock on Jaelon Barbarin — at all — because I think he’s going to be an electric piece to the puzzle moving forward, but I think the staff dropped the ball a little when it comes to the running back position.

I feel like Barbarin was always a take and he probably would have been part of the class regardless of what happened with Kedrick Reescano, but losing him to Ole Miss hurt.

Not only did the loss of Reescano hurt, but the “what ifs” in the class are painful to look at. Five-star Rueben Owens, Reescano, four-star Jeremiah Cobb, four-star Cole Cabana, and four-star Treyaun Webb. I would have also like if Mel Tucker pushed harder for a second running back addition in the form of Javin Simpkins, a former Georgia Tech commit.

But Barbarin is going to have to do for this class. He’ll join a room that is pretty deep heading into the 2023 season so there’s not a concern at running back, but Barbarin feels like more of a project at the position.

Home/Recruiting