Deadline passes for Southfield's Malik McDowell to sign Michigan State letter-of-intent
Monday was the last day high school seniors could sign a national letter-of-intent for football, and Southfield lineman Malik McDowell remains unsigned.
McDowell, a 6-foot-6, 295-pound defensive lineman, is the No. 3 player on The Detroit News Blue Chip list, but some recruiting services like Rivals.com and Scout.com have McDowell rated the state’s top player.
McDowell gave a verbal commitment to Michigan State on Feb. 5, National Signing Day, but his mother and custodial parent, Joya Crowe, refused to sign the letter-of-intent.
Southfield coach Tim Conley said MSU, and the other schools that have actively recruited him – such as Michigan, Florida State and Ohio State – would leave a scholarship available for McDowell past the deadline.
Now that the deadline has passed, McDowell and either parent — Crowe or McDowell’s father, Greg McDowell — could sign a Big Ten tender. Alvin Ellis III joined Michigan State’s men’s basketball program last April with a Big Ten tender.
Conley said last week McDowell’s parents have decided that they will not allow college coaches further contact with their son – that coaches will have to go through them. College coaches are not allowed to contact recruits at this time. That will change on April 12, when coaches are able to contact students, which will, in effect, open McDowell’s recruiting process.
The News was unable to reach Conley, Crowe and Greg McDowell on Monday.