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Michigan State Football: 3 keys to better recruiting

By Scott Tolonen

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JULY 27: Head coach Mel Tucker of the Michigan State Spartans is seen during the 2022 Big Ten Conference Football Media Days at Lucas Oil Stadium on July 27, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JULY 27: Head coach Mel Tucker of the Michigan State Spartans is seen during the 2022 Big Ten Conference Football Media Days at Lucas Oil Stadium on July 27, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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It’s the offseason, which means recruiting can take front and center on most days when it comes to Michigan State football. Now, recruiting rankings are not the end-all, be-all of what determines a national champion. Just ask Texas A&M and Miami.

But schools that consistently get the top recruits (not the most recruits) are the schools that consistently make the College Football Playoff.

Ignore the points system because a school like Michigan can have the “top spot” in recruiting rankings for 2024, but they also have 24 commits. If you order by average star count, they are ranked seventh with an average star rating of 3.8, which by no means is bad, but Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State are all ranked higher when it comes to the quality of recruits.

Based on that same criteria for the class of 2023, Michigan State is third in the Big Ten, with an average score of 3.44 stars per recruit, behind Ohio State and Penn State. That’s good for MSU, but good is the enemy of great. So it got me thinking, what could boost MSU’s recruiting from good to competing with Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State?

Here are three ideas right off the bat.

3. Add Forest Akers to the tour

In a generation where golf has never been more popular, get these recruits on the course. They may spray the ball all over the place, spew profanity, and vow they’ll never play again but when has that stopped any of us? For us common folk, golf is about being in nature with a great group of people.

Each group would consist of one recruit, one coach, one booster, and one student/alumni representative. The coach can talk about football and culture, the booster can talk about NIL, and the student/alum can talk about off-campus hot spots and what makes Michigan State the best campus in the world.

I’ve had some of my best memories shooting 103, couldn’t hit a fairway, and couldn’t putt my way out of a paper bag, but as soon as I leave the parking lot, my first thought is, “I can’t wait to do that again,”.

Of course, if the recruit is underage, it is against the law for them to consume alcohol and I would never condone such abhorrent behavior. However, if some Spiked Arnold Palmers just happen to make it into their bag in the parking lot (kidding)? Well, they’re already knee-deep in golf/student culture.

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