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Michigan state football: 2023 official visit tracker, share this article.

The 2024 recruiting class will be a pivotal class in Mel Tucker’s continuing tenure at Michigan State. Securing a strong class to keep the positive momentum he has built will be of the upmost importance.

In order to put together a strong 2024 recruiting class, the Spartans will have to have a strong performance throughout their host of official visits.

With official visit season starting in June, fans are starting to gain clarity about who will be visiting East Lansing.

Check out who will be officially visiting East Lansing with Spartans Wire’s official visit tracker:

4-star LB Dylan Williams

East Lansing. pic.twitter.com/3T6OEuyAow — Dylan Williams (@Dwill_2024) April 24, 2023

3-star TE Eric Karner

One of the top TEs in the 2024 recruiting class is coming to East Lansing on an official visit https://t.co/l6s4Y5CxTp — SpartansWire (@TheSpartansWire) April 24, 2023

4-star WR Jordan Ross

2024 four-star WR Jordan Ross will take an official visit to #MichiganState on the first weekend of June, he tells me. @Jordan__Ross1 , a top-175 prospect from California, has offers from Notre Dame, Washington, Auburn & others. Article w/ quotes (VIP): https://t.co/MngF5Owb1a pic.twitter.com/5NoSOjoCvg — Justin Thind (@JustinThind) April 16, 2023

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On the 48-hour clock: Inside an official visit weekend for recruits with Michigan State's football program

EAST LANSING – There are multiple ways to gauge how a highly touted football recruit's official visit to a school went.

One way is looking at his social media postings during and after the visit. Another is to parse post-visit interviews given to reporters. But there's another, lesser-known method, according to Michigan State football recruiting guru Saeed Khalif.

Ask the prospect about his waistline.

"When people leave here, they always joke about gaining 15 pounds. If we did that, we did our job," said Khalif, MSU football's general manager and executive director of player personnel, roles in which he's tasked with directing the program's recruiting efforts. "That means the food offerings were good and they kept eating."

Given recent results, the proof is in the pudding: Recruits like what Michigan State is offering. And they keep coming back for more — in the form of commitments.

Since the calendar flipped to June, when official visits are allowed to begin, the Spartans have landed five commitments for their 2023 class: defensive backs Jaylon Braxton (Frisco, Texas) and Chance Rucker (Denton, Texas), linebacker Jordan Hall (Bradeton, Florida) offensive lineman Clay Wedin (Tampa, Florida) and wide receiver Demitrius Bell (Murfreesboro, Tennessee). All five are four-star prospects, making MSU one of the nation's hottest teams on the recruiting trail.

FROM LSJ COLUMNIST GRAHAM COUCH: Mel Tucker's flurry of recruiting momentum is unlike anything MSU football has ever experienced

MSU has another huge batch of visits on tap for this weekend — the final one in the all-important recruiting month of June. According to 247Sports, another eight highly-ranked prospects will be on campus, including five four-star players.

Official visits — ones in which the school foots the bill — are critical to the recruiting process. Schools are permitted 56 official visits per year. (Occasionally, there are exceptions for schools to carry over a handful of unused official visits to the following year.) Khalif wishes he had a few dozen more at his disposal. As it is, with the recruiting run the Spartans are on, there are more interested prospects than available visits.

Michigan State's philosophy with official visits is to have its top targets come to town as soon as possible.

"We use the evaluation period when we go out on the road to shore up the kids who want to come, or who we want to come," said Khalif, who joined MSU last year after spending four seasons (2017-20) as Wisconsin's director of player personnel. "We don't get all of them that we want to come here — but we've gotten a good bunch who have a high interest in our program.

"We just know if we can get them here and let them feel who we are, let them learn about us, they're going to leave here with a sensation that this is a place they want to be."

So what's an official visit to East Lansing like for an ultra-talented football player?

It's two days chock full of food, football, socializing and more.

Arrival and the 'fun day'

No matter where a prospect lives, MSU will find a way to get him to town. That begins, Khalif said, with arranging for a car service to pick up a prospect and his family and deliver them to the airport. Players in rural areas of the country might be hours from a major airport, so the transportation costs can be expensive. But when chasing the most talented players, that's just the cost of doing business.

"Recruiting is competitive," Khalif said. "So no matter where they come from in South Georgia or Florida or Texas or California or Washington, it's the same," he said. "Some people are sending limousine services and things of that nature to get them. We're going to stay with the standard, 'What's fair, reasonable and affordable?' "

RELATED:   For Michigan State and its athletes, NIL is changing the game

Prospects are flown into Lansing, Detroit or Grand Rapids. Here, it's more about time than money. On a 48-hour clock in which prospects are allowed to be on campus during official visits, time is of the essence. Players and their families arrive on Thursday nights. Once again, a car service gets them from Point A (the airport) to Point B (hotels in the East Lansing area). Normally, a reception awaits.

"It's a hospitality-suite type of deal, so you've got something to eat, something to drink," Khalif said. "You break the ice with some of the other families and that kind of stuff."

These receptions don't include anyone from the football program. The 48-hour clock countdown begins in one of two ways: the moment a prospect steps foot on campus or the second MSU's staff initiates conversation.

"As long as they're off campus, and they're not interacting with us, then the clock doesn't start," Khalif said. "So that's why Thursday night works. We don't interact with them at all. Friday morning, it starts when the staff comes over for breakfast."

Friday, Khalif said, is dubbed the "fun day" for visiting recruits. They learn about academics, sitting down with advisors from Student-Athlete Support Services, which gives a presentation to recruits and their families. Recruits also visit the Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center during the day. They'll absorb information about the strength and conditioning program and the overall culture of MSU football. They also meet the coaches and support staff.

After lunch, they'll "talk a little ball," Khalif said, but again, that's not the primary focus of the day. Visitors tour the campus before heading to dinner and enjoying more entertainment, whether it's go-karting, watching a movie or heading to a party.

"The kids get with their hosts and they want to go hang out with other college students," Khalif said. "And parents hang out with coaches and get to know them a little bit. So we usually find a place where they can do a parent reception on a Friday night."

Saturday: The 'football day'

As soon as recruits wake up Saturday, football takes center stage. It's not a coincidence, Khalif said.

In college football, Saturdays are gamedays. 

This is when the coaching staff sits down with recruits to go over film, diving into how the players will fit with the Spartans on the field. 

"They're going to see highlights. They're going to see position stuff," Khalif said. "They're going to find how we are going to use them. They're going to find out what our offensive and defensive and special teams philosophies are. "

It's not limited solely to film breakdown or on-field analysis, though.

"We're going to get them in uniforms, do full photo shoots where they're actually in equipment, and they can do helmet swaps and jersey swaps and things of that nature," Khalif said. "So we start talking about building their brand — starting with good, solid photos that you use."

The night — and the visit — normally concludes at coach Mel Tucker's house, which, Khalif says, "is fully set up" to be a one-stop shop for recruiting excellence.

"He has a gigantic yard," Khalif said. He also has a basketball court and movie theater, pool tables and pinball machines.

"You name it, it's happening over there," Khalif said. "There's a lot going on."

MORE:  Alcohol sales at Spartan Stadium? MSU AD Alan Haller hopes that's on the way

At Tucker's house, the interactions with recruits are laid back. Prospects are able to lounge around for a while before they head off with their hosts for the second consecutive night. Parents stay behind for a reception.

"(Tucker) usually wraps it up with some music," Khalif said. "When somebody's on a mic doing some singing or something? That's when we know the night's coming to an end."

'Under construction'

Come Sunday morning, the official part of the visit is over. But a prospect and his family still need to get back home. That's why a strong bond with the transportation company is essential.

"That's the risk we take," Khalif said. "You might have a driver who's having a bad day — and we can't have a bad day with recruits."

As well-oiled a machine as the MSU football recruiting operation has become, there are some things even beyond its power. What are common things that can go wrong?

"The weather," Khalif said. "Or they might have flight delays going home. These aren't things that we control, but it impacts the impression of the weekend. What's the last thing they remember about you? 'Man, that flight was delayed and I sat in the airport.'

"It's no fault of ours. But it's part of the overall experience."

In Khalif's mind, schools have to use what they have on hand during official visits. And what the Spartans own in spades, he said, is "great people." That's what helps recruits and their families look beyond what they see at the Skandalaris Football Center right now: dust and dirt, missing walls and floors. The Spartans are in the middle of the first phase of renovations.

When it's done, MSU will have a new lobby, an expanded locker room and equipment room and updated weight rooms and team meeting rooms. In addition, there will be new player lockers and areas for dining, nutrition, health and wellness and recovery.

"People have just got to recognize that our road to success is under construction," Khalif said. "(But the people in this building) are the conductors of that train and that movement."

RELATED:  Michigan State football 'trying to get better at everything' during offseason workouts

Regardless of when construction is complete, MSU just focuses on what it can control — providing the best possible experience for visitors.

"These official visits are no different than taking any other trip and and expecting good hospitality, good accommodations and good food," Khalif said. "We have to provide those things."

Contact Ryan Black at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RyanABlack.

Recruiting Chops: Michigan State Football Official Visit Hub

Welcome everyone to official visit season. Starting Friday, June 2, Michigan State will be hosting prospects from around the country on official visits as the Spartans look to secure more commitments in their 2024 recruiting class .

As of June 2, Spartans Illustrated has confirmed more than 30 prospects who will be visiting East Lansing over the course of the month, with more likely to be added in the coming days and weeks.

Below you can find our running visitors list and articles regarding official visits. This post will be continuously updated.

GET THE INSIDE SCOOP ON THE SPARTANS WITH A PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION TO SPARTANS ILLUSTRATED!

Running list of official visitors

Four-star TE Eric Karner (Immaculate Conception - IL)

Four-star CB Jaylen Thompson (Riverdale - TN, Michigan State commit)

Four-star WR Kwazi Gilmer (Sierra Canyon - CA)

Four-star RB Kahnen Daniels (West Point - MS)

Three-star OL Logan Bennett (St. Frances - MD, Michigan State commit)

Four-star LB Dylan Williams (Long Beach Poly - CA)

Three-star QB Henry Hasselbeck (Xaverian Brothers - MA)

Three-star DB Syair Torrence (Christian Brothers - NY)

Four-star OT Nathan Roy (Mukwonago - WI)

Three-star S Reggie Powers (Centerville - OH)

CB Camren Campbell (Tampa Bay Tech - FL)

Three-star WR Javarius Green (Crest High School - NC)

Three-star WR Tra’Mar Harris (Winton Woods - OH)

Four-star LB Kamar Mothudi (Campbell Hall - CA)

Three-star OL Andrew Dennis (Mount Pleasant - MI, Michigan State commit)

Four-star LB Jeremiah Beasley (Belleville - MI)

Four-star RB Anthony Carrie (Carrollwood Day - FL)

June 11-June 13 :

LB Kristopher Jones (Fairfax - VA)

June 16-18:

Three-star TE Decker DeGraaf (Glendora - CA)

June 23-25:

Four-star WR Nick Marsh (River Rouge - MI)

OT Charlton Luniewski (Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy - OH)

OT Mercer Luniewski (Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy - OH)

Four-star RB Jason Brown (O'Dea - Seattle)

Four-star OT DeAndre Carter (Mater Dei - CA)

Three-star DB Justin Denson (La Salle Academy - RI)

Five-star DT David Stone (IMG Academy - FL, originally from Oklahoma)

June 1-June 8 :

- Michigan State Football: Official visitors preview for June 2 to June 4 - Intel, observations and more from the National College Showcase - National College Showcase: MSU's Mel Tucker talks transfer departures, more - 2024 New York ATH Samuel Madu releases top five - 2024 - QB Henry Hasselbeck on official visit: 'Michigan State blew me away' - 2024 four-star CB commit Jaylen Thompson is 'locked' in with Michigan State - Michigan State 'feels like family' for 2024 OL commit Logan Bennett - 2024 four star WR Kwazi Gilmer feels strong vibes from MSU official visit - 2024 four-star LB Dylan Williams breaks down Michigan State official visit - Recruiting Chops - Spy Report: How Michigan State sits for key targets

June 9-June 16:

- Michigan State football: Official visitors preview for June 9-June 11 - 2024 four-star RB Kahnen Daniels: Mel Tucker 'recruiting to change lives' - Exclusive: Michigan State's NIL program is on the cusp of something big - MSU official visit gives 2024 three-star WR Javarius Green 'home feeling' - Michigan State 2024 OL commit Andrew Dennis: 'I'm not going anywhere else' - 2024 DB Syair Torrence talks 'unbelievable' Michigan State official visit - 2024 DB Reggie Powers III commits to Michigan State: 'I feel like myself' - 2024 CB Camren Campbell commits to Michigan State: 'They checked every box' - Impact: Analyzing the commitments of Reggie Powers & Camren Campbell to MSU - Film Room: What Michigan State is getting in three-star DB Reggie Powers - Rivals250 2024 LB Kristopher Jones likes potential fit at Michigan State - 2024 three-star TE Decker DeGraaf arrives for Michigan State official visit

June 17-June 24

- Michigan State gains commitment from 2023 JUCO long snapper Drew Wilson - 2024 five-star DT David Stone sets Michigan State official visit - 2024 TE Decker DeGraaf recaps 'amazing' Michigan State official visit - 2024 OL commit Andrew Dennis returning to Michigan State this weekend - Michigan State Football: Official visitors preview for June 23-June 25

MUCH MORE TO COME

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Trieu: Versatile Ohio linebacker Dante McClellan to visit Michigan State football

Michigan State will get an official visit from Canton (Ohio) McKinley linebacker Dante McClellan the first weekend of June.

McClellan also has visited for a spring practice, as the Spartans battle Minnesota, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Rutgers, Louisville and more.

A 247Sports Composite four-star, McClellan is a versatile 6-foot-3, 212-pound prospect who defensive coordinator Joe Rossi has had as a priority recruit since even before he got to Michigan State.

“I have a really good relationship with the defensive coordinator at Michigan State, Coach Rossi,” says Edwin Glick, linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator at Canton McKinley. “He offered Dante when he was at Minnesota and when he got the job , he assumed Michigan State had offered. Then he found out they hadn’t and he got on the phone and offered, and Coach Rossi has been an amazing guy. Their staff has done a phenomenal job of coming into that program, knowing how history has been, and made an impact in offering multiple Ohio kids right away, Dante being one of them.”

In today’s game, linebackers have to be able to match up on running backs and tight ends, even receivers at times, all while being able to maintain their traditional responsibilities of stopping the run. That has led to schools recruiting a certain type of athlete for that spot, which McClellan is.

“I think he fits that mold extremely well,” Glick said. “The first time I saw Dante, I met him and I thought he was a senior. One thing that stands out is how his body is built. He’s a true 6-2, 6-3 and is everything I would recruit when I was coaching linebackers at the college level. He runs a low 4.6, high 4.5, and we ask him to play a lot of man coverage here at McKinley, and he does it extremely well.”

Well enough that some schools can see McClellan being a safety in college.

Most of the field, including Michigan State, see him as an outside linebacker who can be a WILL in some situations, a SAM in others.

“I think he will excel big time in those roles,” Glick said.

The versatility, size and speed all have given McClellan his lengthy list of options. Following his official visits, he plans to move toward a commitment that will hopefully come before his senior season kicks off.

McClellan is ranked the No. 13 junior in Ohio by the 247Sports Composite. He finished his junior season with 75 tackles (13 for loss), four sacks and an interception. He was a second-team all-state selection.

MSU makes new offer, re-affirms offer in Indy

Michigan State offered Indianapolis Lawrence North wide receiver Davion Chandler on Monday. A quick-footed 6-foot, 170-pound junior, the Spartans now join Wisconsin, West Virginia, Louisville and others on the three-star recruit’s offer list. He has not visited MSU yet but dates are being worked through.

The Spartans also re-offered Indianapolis Ben Davis defensive tackle Isaiah White . White (6-3, 270 pounds) was offered by the previous staff. A three-star prospect, White visits Illinois this week and plans to set a date with MSU. He has an official visit with Washington the weekend of June 21.

More information

Dante McClellan profile

Davion Chandler profile

Isaiah White profile

Allen Trieu covers Midwest football recruiting for 247Sports. He has been featured on the Big Ten Network on its annual Signing Day Show. His Michigan and Michigan State recruiting columns appear weekly at detroitnews.com.

Michigan State football locks in official visit with Minnesota's No. 2 prospect

By trevor michael | apr 5, 2024.

As Michigan State football inches closer to official visit season, now is the time when we will see the Spartans begin to fill those weekends with some of the best recruits across the country.

Jonathan Smith has taken a somewhat cautious approach to recruiting the high school ranks so far, but he is still making moves and getting some great recruits on campus.

We are still about two months away from the first official visit weekend of the summer, but we do know a few recruits who have already scheduled a visit.

Another player was just added to that list Thursday night when a very talented recruit from Minnesota, Abu Tarawallie , announced he would be coming to East Lansing.

NEWS: #MichiganState will host 2025 DL Abu Tarawallie on an official visit starting June 9th, per @AllenTrieu . More on the 6-foot-4 DT who’s ranked as the #2 player in Minnesota, from Trieu: https://t.co/ILM1m24WT6 (VIP) pic.twitter.com/kYIqRj7DRB — SpartanTailgate.com (@SpartanTailgate) April 5, 2024

Abu Tarawallie is a three-star defensive lineman from Osseo, Minn. He is one of the top recruits from Minnesota, currently ranked No. 2 overall according to 247Sports. He is also the No. 655 player in the entire class and No. 66 at his position. Tarawallie is 6-foot-4 and 275 pounds, so he already has the size to play at the Power Five level.

As you would probably guess with any of the top recruits from Minnesota, the Gophers are firmly in the race in Tarawallie's recruitment as well. Minnesota appears to be the leader in his recruitment as On3 gives the Gophers a 75.2% chance of landing him. There are, however, no official predictions in his recruitment yet, so the Spartans have as good of a chance as anyone.

Tarawallie will be taking an official visit to Michigan State the weekend of June 7. He will then take his second official visit the following weekend to Minnesota. Those are the only official visits scheduled by him so far, so it does appear to be a race between the Gophers and Spartans so far.

If it truly is a battle between MSU and Minnesota, I think MSU has to love its chances. Sure Tarawallie is from Minnesota so there's always the chance he wants to stay close to home, but Michigan isn't too far away. Smith has proven to be an excellent recruiter so far, so I will never count him out in any recruitment.

Michigan State football spring practice visitor preview (April 13)

Michigan State will welcome an impressive haul of unofficial visitors tomorrow (April 13), as the Spartans take part in the 12th of 15 total spring practices. The Saturday practice will be the focal point of the recruiting visits. SpartanMag.com will break down the expected visitor for the day. You can find the full spring visitor list HERE .

Four-star OL Avery Gach, Birmingham (Mich.) Wylie E. Groves

Michigan State will welcome four-star in-state offensive lineman Avery Gach this weekend, his second visit to East Lansing under the new Spartans staff. Offensive line coach Jim Michalczik and head coach Jonathan Smith made up ground on the first visit in February, as Michigan State continues to chase Big Ten foes in Ohio State and Michigan . Wisconsin is also involved as the Spartans will look to secure an official visit as well.

Gach is the No. 247 overall recruit in the 2025 class, per the On3 Industry Rankings . He is also the No. 17 interior offensive lineman and No. 2 prospect from Michigan in his class. The four-star plans to have a final decision after this official visits this summer, and before his senior season begins.

RELATED: 2025 four-star OL Avery Gach to visit Michigan State this weekend

Four-star DB Tariq Hayer, Upper Marlboro (MD) St. John’s

Michigan State will host four-star defensive back Tariq Hayer , of Upper Marlboro (MD) St. John’s school over the weekend, as he announced his visit plans via social media . He holds offers from Penn State , Wisconsin , Tennessee , Texas A&M , Auburn , and others. Michigan State could potentially join the mix this weekend as he continues to set official visit plans.

Hayer (5-11, 185) is ranked a four-star, the No. 157 overall recruit in the 2025 On3 Industry Rankings . He is also ranked the No. 19 cornerback and the No. 3 recruit in Maryland. Hayer has official visits lined up with Cincinnati (May 30) and Rutgers (June 7) so far.

Three-star CB Jayden Shipps, Severn (MD) Archbishop Spalding

Michigan State will also welcome priority cornerback target Jayden Shipps for the practice. Shipps (6-1, 180) was offered by cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin back on Feb. 1 as he visited Archbishop Spalding. Martin made a strong impression on Shipps, as the Spartans will now look to secure an official visit from the cornerback with a strong weekend trip.

Shipps holds other offers from Tennessee , Wisconsin , NC State , Pittsburgh , South Carolina , Duke , and others. He is ranked a three-star, the No. 614 overall recruit in his class by the 2025 On3 Industry Rankings .

RELATED: Michigan State making 2025 three-star CB Jayden Shipps a priority

DB Alijah Jones, Baltimore (MD) Archbishop Spaulding

Demetrice Martin and Michigan State will also welcome Shipps high school teammate in Alijah Jones as he joins him for the trip. Jones (6-0, 185) was also offered by Martin during the position coach’s trip to the school.

He holds other offers from Pittsburgh , Indiana , Boston College , and others. Jones it not yet ranked by the 2025 On3 Industry Rankings.

OL Cam Clark, Dexter (Mich.) High School

Michigan State will also welcome in-state lineman Cam Clark for his second visit to East Lansing under the new Spartans staff. Offensive line coach Jim Michalczik visited Dexter to see Clark in January as well.

Clark (6-7, 290) holds offers from Wisconsin , Kansas , Cincinnati , Georgia Tech , Minnesota , Duke , Kentucky , and others. He is not yet ranked by the 2025 On3 Industry Rankings .

OL Ben Nichols, Davison (Mich.) High School

The Spartans and Jim Michalczik will also welcome a top 2026 offensive line target in Ben Nichols on April 13 for practice. Michigan State offered Nichols on Feb. 2, just a day before hosting him for the Feb. 3 junior day event. The Spartans are off to a strong start in his recruitment, but he holds other offers from Notre Dame , Florida State , Virginia Tech , Purdue , and others.

Nichols (6-6, 325) is ranked a four-star, the No. 209 overall recruit in the 2026 On3 Industry Rankings . He is also ranked the No. 19 interior offensive lineman and the No. 3 recruit in Michigan.

QB Anthony Coellner, Carmel (Ind.) High School

Michigan State will also welcome back 2026 quarterback Anthony Coellner , as he makes his second visit to East Lansing under Jonathan Smith and company.

Coellner (6-2, 195) has also visited West Virginia , USC , UCLA , Michigan , Indiana , and others this spring. He holds offers from Indiana , Cincinnati , Maryland , West Virginia , and others.

The post Michigan State football spring practice visitor preview (April 13) appeared first on On3 .

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Michigan State football's WR salivating over wide range of opportunities in new offense

EAST LANSING — Alante Brown’s first year with Michigan State football fulfilled a longtime dream, even if it did not go the way he had hoped.

Starting with the first play of the Spartans’ season in his green and white debut.

Brown watched the opening kickoff of the season against Central Michigan sail to Tyrell Henry. As Henry took off, Brown collided with the Chippewas’ Thomas Pannunzio and immediately crumpled to the Spartan Stadium turf.

He left the field on a backboard , controversially returned to the field later in that game for one play , then missed most of the following two weeks after going into concussion protocol.

“That could have been my last play. ... Football is a dangerous sport,” Brown recalled Thursday. “Thank God, God allowed me to get back up after that hit. That's what comes with the game.”

It is a lesson the fifth-year senior wants to impart to the rest of MSU’s wide receivers going into the upcoming season. Something he learned first-hand, something returning position coach Courtney Hawkins is leaning on to get the most out of his wideouts in head coach Jonathan Smith’s new offense.

“Every day, we come out there to compete. That's his character. He's installed that into each and every one of our guys in our room,” Brown said of Hawkins, himself a former MSU and NFL receiver. “We just try to carry that chip on our shoulder, because you never know when our last play is. He harps on that every day. …

“I love this sport. If you really love this sport, you'll go to next level to do what you got to do for this sport. It won't really affect me, I would say, to continue to go down ball and do what I do, because I know what I'm capable of.”

Brown, a 5-foot-11, 189-pound native of Chicago, never got on track after getting knocked out of the first game. He finished his first season after transferring from Nebraska with just three catches for 27 yards, but Smith and new offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren believe Brown can be one of the veterans MSU can rely on during their first season and in bringing changes to an offense that struggled last fall.

MAKING PROGRESS: What MSU coaches saw in scrimmage, and what it all means

“We've been shuffling guys around, particularly at receiver,” Lindgren said Thursday, with the Spartans preparing for their second spring scrimmage Saturday. “They've been playing inside, they've been playing outside, kind of trying to get a feel for what they can do there, rotating through groups. ... We're getting a feel for some of the playmakers.”

MSU's returning receiving corps is relatively inexperienced beyond fifth-year senior Montorie Foster, who led the Spartans with 43 catches for 576 yards last season with three touchdowns. Tre Mosley graduated, and both Henry and Christian Fitzpatrick transferred. That opens opportunities for Brown, junior Jaron Glover (14 catches, 261) and sophomore Antonio Gates Jr. (five catches, 82 yards, TD) — as well as redshirt freshmen Aziah Johnson and Jaelen Smith and true freshman Nick Marsh — to take a step forward and emerge in Smith and Lindgren's pass-heavy scheme they are bringing from Oregon State.

“He definitely brings a different regime, for sure. Different concepts, definitely with the offensive schemes and stuff like that,” Foster said of Smith last month. “It's definitely fun. ... It's starting to get pretty simple. The concepts are all making sense now, so it's easier to just go out there and just have fun and just make plays.”

BIG BULLIES: MSU's approach to run game is totally different: 'Move people'

The Beavers last season ranked 51st in the nation at 242.2 passing yards per game and 45th in total offense at 409.2 yards. Smith and Lindgren also brought with them sophomore Aidan Chiles, who is expected to bring experience and expertise in their system to an MSU offense that shuffled through three quarterbacks a year ago and ranked 96th in passing (199.8 yards) and 125th in total offense (289.3).

“They bring excitement, especially when you get to see the system,” said Brown, who originally committed to MSU and Mark Dantonio in 2018 before going to Nebraska in 2020 following a year at prep school. “You can hear this coming in, ‘They throw the ball a lot’ or ‘They're a throw-first team.’ But when you see the system, you actually see what they're doing for the guys and what they're good at. It definitely bring joy and excitement in what you can bring to the game.”

With so many young talents behind them, both Foster and Brown are eager to provide a vocal presence for this season and to serve as a building block for Smith’s future MSU teams after they graduate.

“We need some leaders on this team,” Brown said. “We got Montorie, we got me — two of the older guys in the room. So just set the example and try to share my knowledge with the team and bring a good culture, showing what my character is. And just continue to play ball and have fun.”

Contact Chris Solari: [email protected] . Follow him  @chrissolari .

  Subscribe to the "Spartan Speak" podcast for new episodes weekly on  Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at  freep.com/podcasts .

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Michigan State Football Adds Offensive Lineman To 2024 Roster

The Spartans have added a late addition to their 2024 roster...

• Author: Matthew Lounsberry

In this story:

In the modern age of college football, rosters are ever-shifting with various transfer portal windows opening throughout the year. That reality keeps coaches on their toes at all times, and you can never have too many guys in your program.

On Saturday, Michigan State added another piece to its 2024 puzzle, landing Brighton (Mich.) offensive lineman Hayden Lorius as a preferred walk-on from this past recruiting class. Lorius had various scholarship offers at the Division II, NAIA and Division III levels, but chose to accept the chance to be a Spartan instead.

All glory to GOD, thank you everyone who has been with me on my journey. I am committed to play football and continue my academic career at THE Michigan State University! #AGTG 💚🤍💚🤍 #Committed pic.twitter.com/wHYUXawN1r — Hayden Lorius (@HaydenLorius) April 13, 2024

Michigan State signed 21 scholarship players in its 2024 recruiting class, which ranked No. 42 in the country according to 247Sports' team composite rankings. Nine of those signees have early enrolled with the Spartans and are currently going through spring practice, including wide receiver Nick Marsh, offensive linemen Charlton and Mercer Luniewski, quarterbacks Alessio Milivojevic and Ryland Jessee, linebacker Brady Pretzlaff, defensive backs Justin Denson and Jaylen Thompson and running back Brandon Tullis.

The rest of the scholarship signees, as well as Lorius and many of the 2024 walk-ons, will join Michigan State in June to participate in summer conditioning. As next year's roster continues to come together, the Spartans continue to seek their first commitment in the 2025 recruiting cycle, as head coach Jonathan Smith's rebuild in East Lansing gets further underway.

The Michigan State Spartan Football Spring Green and White Game (Spring Showcase) will be held at the High Cathedral of the Spartan Nation, Spartan Stadium, on April 20, 2024, at 2 p.m.

Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation  WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE , and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well  WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE .

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