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Michigan State's 2009 class ranked seventh by Rivals
BY MATT DORSEY - FREE PRESS SPECIAL WRITER
August 7, 2008
There is a reason that Ohio State, USC and LSU have been so dominant on the football field the past few seasons. They have recruited better than anyone else. Ask any coach and he will tell you recruiting is the lifeblood of their program. If that is truly the case, then the future looks bright for Michigan State based on the recruiting rankings released by Rivals.com on Wednesday.
The Spartans are ranked No. 7 in the nation for the 2009 class, ahead of programs such as Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Alabama and Penn State. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Jeremy Crabtree had the following to say about the Spartan class:
"We don't know if it's fair to call the Spartans the nation's biggest surprise because coach Mark Dantonio always has been a good recruiter, but nobody predicted this type of success so early in the process. Eight four-star prospects headline a talented group that's deep at a lot of positions."
The amazing thing about the Spartans' 15-man class is that every player hails from the Big Ten region and 2/3 of the prospects are from the state of Michigan. Being strong on the home front and recruiting almost exclusively high school prospects is a big change from the John L. Smith era.
cont'd...
Ohio State moves in to the No. 2 slot, and although we still aren't as excited about the bottom half of this class as some are, the Buckeyes' top 15-17 commitments are as good as anyone's. The Buckeyes have six prospects in the top 100 of the ESPNU 150, which is the same as LSU, our No. 3 team, but OSU has a little bit more meat in the middle. LSU's class could really soar in the coming months, but the Tigers have more numbers to fill between now and then than the Buckeyes do.
Taking a look at the top four teams, you could argue that they are all interchangeable and deserve consideration for the No. 1 spot in the land. Texas, LSU and USC all have nine ESPNU 150 players committed. Ohio State boasts six ESPNU 150 players and the deepest class to date. But we have questions about the level of talent at the bottom of the Buckeyes' class.
TheIronColonel;1228558; said:I just can't figure out why Tom Luginbill still has a job. I mean a job at ESPN covering college football, not a job picking up garbage. I could see why someone would hire to to pick up garbage.
stkoran;1228854; said:I'm pretty sure ESPN gets a large stipend from the federal government for employing someone who is mentally challenged.
10)Brandon McGee-Plantation-Ath-6’0-185- McGee is projected as a cornerback at the next level but it’s on offense where he has done most of his damage. McGee is one of types of players that can come to a complete stop and when he starts back up seems to be in 5th gear. He is at his best with the football under his arm. We like him as a receiver while most colleges are recruiting him as a defensive back.
16)Jamaal Berry-Palmetto-RB-5’9-190-(Committed to Ohio State)- Like with Miller, Berry gets knocked down the board because of academics. If he was qualified along with Miller they would probably be 1-2 in Florida and both would be top ten players. Berry is a much more powerful back then either Miller or Pryor and has just as much speed. He does a good job of running with his pads square to the line of scrimmage and Berry never seems to go down on first contact. He needs to improve as a pass catcher out of the backfield.
31)Duron Carter-Saint Thomas-WR-6’2-175-(Committed to Ohio State)- When you watch Duron play you have to wonder if that’s how his father Chris looked like in high school. Duron runs his routes very well and pretty much catches everything thrown his way. He does a good job of getting open. He does not have great speed but that should improve as Duron continues to work on that part of his game. He is probably one of the most polished receivers in this year’s class.
35)James Green-Leon-WR-6’1-185-(Committed to USF)-Green transferred from South Florida up to Tallahassee in the spring. He then went on a dominated his spring game and some are starting to wonder how high his stock can rise. He is not a real physical receiver but Green can make the big play. It would not surprise us to see Green end up a big time play maker in college.
41)Carlos Hyde-Naples-RB/FB-6’0-220-(Committed to Ohio State)-Hyde is a big, power back that can punish a defense. He is more of a between the tackles runner that will pick up the tough yards. After wearing a defense down all game long, Hyde is capable of breaking off some long runs. He is heading to the perfect conference (Big 10) where his running style will fit in well.
47)Frankie Telfort-Gulliver-LB-5’10-195- Telfort was a prospect that his name came up on the recruiting radar early last season. He has played mainly as a linebacker in high school. In college he will most likely get moved to the rover position. The one question that needs to be answered is whether or not Telfort can go back into coverage.
49)Jeremy Gallon-Apopka-Ath.-5’9-175- (Committed to Michigan)-As far as explosive there are not many other players that lead in that category over Gallon. He is the type of player that is a game changer. He is a very talented prospect that could play on either side of the football. The only thing that will hold Gallon back is academics.
61) John Scott-Seabreeze-DB/LB-6’5-215- Scott comes from a family that has already sent two players to the D1 ranks. His brother Kenny played at Georgia Tech and James Scott ended up at Ohio State. John is probably the biggest of the bunch. He is built like a safety but probably will have to play linebacker in college. He is a super gifted athlete that could end up a very good college football player.
63) Vlad Emilen-Plantation-S-6’0-180-After super talented Brandon McGee Plantation has a couple of other solid D1 prospects. One of those players is safety Vlad Emilen. He could play either safety spot but it’s our guess that Vlad plays SS in college. He can play close to the line of scrimmage and help out in the run game. Emilen is alright in pass coverage but that’s not his strength.
85) Victor Marc-Hallandale-Ath.-5’10-215- (Committed to USF)-Marc is a talented athlete who just happens to play quarterback in high school. He will most likely end up moving to another position in college. Marc could see time at running back, linebacker or safety in college. He is the leader of the Hallandale offense this year and they expect big things out of Mr. Marc.
94) Petey Smith-Armwood-MLB-5’10-235- Smith ended his sophomore season as one of the more heralded recruits for the class of 2009. He played well as a junior and now is expected to take his game to another level. Smith is a sound player that makes a ton of tackles. He may end up on the defensive line if Petey continues to grow. At 235 he is already almost maxed out as a middle linebacker.
96) Quan Fletcher-Krop-MLB-6’1-235- Fletcher plays middle linebacker in high school but it would not shock us to see him move to the defensive line in college. Another possibility is fullback in college if Quan goes to a team that uses one. He is very physical and not easy to knock off the ball. Straight ahead Quan is a very good linebacker. If asked to move side-line to side-line, Fletcher is not as effective.