Death. Taxes. Tom Izzo rescuing Michigan State fans from insanity after yet another disappointing football season. On Friday, Izzo landed five-star center Ethan Taylor over Indiana, Kansas, Oregon, and Oklahoma, citing the Hall of Famer’s tough love recruiting style as well as the fanbase’s support as the reason he chose the Spartans.
Taylor is the first five-star to commit to Michigan State since the 2023 recruiting class when Xavier Booker rounded out an impressive group that included Jeremy Fears Jr., Coen Carr, and Gehrig Normand.
This class, however, rivals the 2016 class with Miles Bridges, Nick Ward, Cassius Winston, and Josh Langford. While it would take a lot to top that class, this one has a chance to be legitimately special.
Just how special? Well, just a week after landing four-star shooting guard Jasiah Jervis, the Spartans went from a top-five class to the No. 1 group in the 2026 cycle.
That’s right, according to 247Sports, Michigan State now owns the nation’s No. 1 class.
Taylor joins Carlos Medlock Jr., Julius Avent, and Jervis in the Spartans’ 2026 class and really becomes the final piece to the puzzle. The Spartans needed a dominant big who can play at a high level at both ends of the floor, and they got one in Taylor.
The makeup of this class is also intriguing considering Medlock and Jervis were quick-risers up the rankings, and it feels like they are far from reaching their potential.
And Medlock and Taylor are teammates at Link Academy. The chemistry between those two will be second to none.
Remember when people thought Izzo was washed? Good times.