Tom Izzo got some pretty good news on the recruiting trail over the weekend as one of his top targets in the 2027 recruiting class canceled a visit to a fellow finalist of Michigan State.
Four-star center Jaydn Jenkins, who’s set to officially visit Michigan State in a couple of weeks (Sept. 10), just canceled his NC State visit which was planned for Oct. 2, per Dushawn London of 247Sports.
This definitely increases Michigan State’s chances to land him because he’s now down to just four schools: Michigan State, Ohio State, Xavier, and Georgetown. This was already an extremely winnable recruitment and it’s all probably going to depend on how much of a priority Izzo makes the four-star big man. If he’s the No. 1 center target for the Spartans, Michigan State likely wins this battle.
If Izzo is looking at other guys to take that center spot ahead of Jenkins, he’s likely headed elsewhere, assuming he doesn’t stick around and wait for other prospects to tell the Spartans no.
Considering he was the first center offered by Izzo in the 2027 class, it’s safe to assume that he’s the top priority at the position, but Ohio State and Xavier are going to be tough to beat. Georgetown has the appeal of playing closer to home seeing as Jenkins is from Pennsylvania.
There aren’t any crystal ball predictions for Jenkins yet, but Michigan State is in a good spot before a Grind Week(end) visit on Sept. 10. That’s already going to be a huge recruiting weekend for Izzo and the Spartans because priority point guard target Antonio Pemberton will also be visiting. Having those two develop a rapport will be huge.
Jenkins is the No. 56 overall recruit and No. 8 center in the 2027 class.
Grind Week could set off a domino effect for Michigan State
As it is every year, Grind Week is an important recruiting weekend for the Spartans because it’s usually when Izzo brings in some priority guys who he believes will buy into the culture.
Two years ago, it was Jase Richardson who visited during Grind Week and last year it was Jasiah Jervis. The annual event which brings back former players in a homecoming type of atmosphere yields positive recruiting results, and if all goes as planned this year, Izzo is going to come away with two four-star commits.
Getting either Jenkins or Pemberton to commit after Grind Week visits could lead to the other one following in the same footsteps and with spots running low, 1-2 more top targets could feel a little bit of pressure to commit sooner rather.
Grind Week could set off the perfect domino effect that wraps up the 2027 recruiting class for Michigan State before the 2026-27 season begins. That’s an ideal scenario.
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