Michigan State basketball offers No. 1 center in 2026 class

Over the years, Michigan State basketball fans have gotten to watch some special guard play from guys like Cassius Winston, Tyson Walker, and Jase Richardson, among others. But there's one position that has left a lot to be desired, outside of a Jaxon Kohler breakout in 2024-25: center.

Fans have been screaming from the mountaintops for Tom Izzo to target more centers and to land a 7-footer here and there to compete in the post with the talented bigs that teams like Purdue and Michigan always seem to throw out there.

However, he has settled for a lot of 6-foot-9 centers and guys who are built for the old Big Ten. He wants bruising centers while he should be targeting more Jaren Jackson Jr. types.

Well, it looks like he got the message (he didn't listen to fans, but you get the point), offering five-star 7-footer Ethan Taylor from Link Academy in Branson, Mo.

Does Link Academy sound familiar? That's because Michigan State's newest commit and the lone pledge in the 2026 class, Carlos Medlock Jr., will also be attending Link Academy this fall. This is a prime opportunity for Medlock to do some recruiting of his own and develop an elite connection with the five-star center.

Taylor is a talented big man who happens to be the No. 1 center in the 2026 class. He's not exactly a guy who can stretch the floor, but he's athletic enough to run the pick-and-roll effectively and he's active on the offensive and defensive glass. He's also a willing defender.

It's clear that Taylor likes to battle on the boards and isn't afraid of contact despite being a bit slimmer than you'd expect from a 7-footer. He has active hands on the boards and plays above the rim. Taylor takes every opportunity to go up strong and thrown down. That's what MSU has been missing.

Taylor's stock is sky-rocketing right now as Kentucky just offered him right after the Spartans did and he's "warm" on 247Sports to Kansas.

Let's see what kind of player-recruiter Medlock is.