SpartanMag.com - SpartanMag.com Recruiting Q&A

October 30, 2009

Matt Dorsey
SpartanMag.com Recruiting Analyst

SpartanMag.com answers some of the most frequent questions we are being asked these days. What impact does last week's visits have on recruiting and who are the most likely candidates to fill the final spots? Find out the answers to these questions and more.

Does the removal of Andre Anderson and Caulton Ray mean Michigan State is going to sign more players for the class of 2010?

Right now it is still hard to say. I have a feeling that Michigan State anticipated some attrition this year due to several young players that have moved ahead of others on the depth chart. With that said, I doubt Ray is one of the players they expected might not be back with the program.

I have a feeling Anderson's and potentially Ray's scholarships are more than likely "ear-marked" for current roster players that need to be put on scholarship. Players like D.J. Young. and Jonathon Strayhorn would seem to be likely candidates to receive a scholarship. In addition, Corey Freeman has to go on scholarship too.

What the departure of those players likely does, is make it so that any additional attrition will directly impact the amount of players the Spartans can sign for the class of 2010.

As we have stated before, it would be somewhat reckless for us to speculate on what players could be candidates to look elsewhere, but it is not hard to figure out that at some spots sophomores and juniors are being passed on the depth chart by freshmen and redhsirt freshmen.

If more attrition occurs then yes, additional scholarship spots will open up and that could impact whether some players get offered or not. By the way, there are quite a few solid prospects that have Michigan State high on the list and are just waiting on a Spartan offer.

Does Latwan Anderson's comments about his visit impact any other recruits Michigan State is after?

Anderson's comments were a bit odd. I could speculate all day what would cause him to make those comments, but it would be a waste of time. The way I look at is as follows: 99% of the recruits who visit Michigan State come away with nothing but accolades. So it would seem that Anderson's comments are the exception rather than the rule. That is more likely a due to his attitude and expectations rather than anything Michigan State and Mark Dantonio have to do with it.

The last player I remember coming away with similar comments was quarterback Rivals 100 quarterback Nick Patton. He gave SpartanMag.com the infamous "I did not get enough love up there" comment when asked about his official visit. Patton later made claims against the University of Iowa about sexual encounters being setup on his visit there. Patton ended up being a non-qualifier and a complete washout.

Though Anderson was being recruited as a cornerback, his overall athletic ability made it possible that he could help a team at multiple positions on both the defensive and offensive sides of the ball. Rivals.com compares Anderson to Ronald Johnson, who was listed a defensive back recruit but is now starring as a wide receiver for the Trojans.

I still believe that Jeremy Langford projects more as an athlete recruit than as a running back. In my opinion he is a player that you give a shot at running back, but he needs to understand that the best thing for the team and his career may be to move to another spot.

Many on here may remember Touchdown Tony Howard, who came to Michigan State as a running back/defensive back recruit. He got the idea that running back was the only spot he wanted to play. Once he was asked to move to defensive back, he opted to go to the MAC and was nothing more than a back-up. Last time I checked, being a starting defensive back in the Big Ten is a better route to a potential career on Sundays than being 2nd string in the MAC.

Langford has BCS talent, it is just a matter of finding the right spot for him. It may be running back, but it may be someplace else too. The fact that Coach Dantonio has personally been in-touch with Langford the past few weeks is an indication that he is on the short list of players who may potentially receive a Spartan scholarship offer.

If you were going to predict the last few commitments who would they be?

That is always a tricky question, I will be putting together a Hot List in the near future that will list the recruits that seem most likely. If we assume that Michigan State has 3 spots left it gets awfully tough to figure out what position(s) take priority. If the Spartans have 5 or 6, then space opens up for a few other players.

If Michigan State was only going to take 4 more players for 2010, I think you would have to believe that one of the scholarships would certainly go toward a cornerback, be it Dior Mathis or Christian Bryant/db]. I think the odds are greater than 50% that one of these standouts ends up playing for Michigan State.

The next position would be defensive tackle. The two players that seem to be the most logical choices would be Bruce Gaston Jr. and Tra Thomas. I would pay close attention to the visit dates for these players, that could be a key indicator.

The next position would be running back. Michigan State has just experienced some attrition there and that makes it logical to add another player at that spot. Storm Johnson has already been on campus and Michigan State would certainly like to add him to the mix. I think Erick Howard is in the same league as Johnson. All Howard needs to do is show the proper amount of academic progress and he could end up with a Spartan offer.

The final spot would be offensive line. The two prospects out there that make the most sense would seem to be Skyler Schofner and Eric Franklin. Schofner has been slow-played by Ohio State a bit and I think he is tiring of that game. Franklin will not take his official visits until after his season, which could run into early December. I think the odds are that one of them joins the Spartan nation if the space is there.

So if you are looking at 4 spots, that is 8 names. All have a Michigan State offer except Howard. I don't think you could go wrong with any combination of those prospects. If it is Mathis, Thomas, Johnson and Franklin or Bryant, Gaston, Howard and Schofner, you can't go wrong.

If Michigan State believes they may have one more spot that could be where a player like Langford or even a Chris Robinson from Ovid-Elsie High School fits in here. Robinson just surpassed 2000-yards for the second straight year and has shown he can play defense as well.

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