Five Takeaways from SoundMind SoundBody for Michigan State fans
The fifth annual SoundMind SoundBody High School Seven-on-Seven Showcase has concluded from Wayne State University in Detroit. Many Michigan high school teams participated along with some top Michigan State targets and commits. Spartans Illustrated was at the event and here are five takeaways we gathered from the event.
For in-depth coverage of the event, be sure to check out these articles:
Cass Tech's Connection with MSU: 'Our foundation comes from what they do'
Belleville prospects talk quest for a 'three-peat' and 'Spartan Dawg Con'
The latest intel on multiple 2025 top-10 prospects in the state of Michigan
Four-star WR and Michigan State commit Nick Marsh focused on senior season
Michigan State targets Alex Graham and AJ Marks discuss move to IMG Academy
Takeaway 1: Pressure is off four-star wide receiver commit Nick Marsh and he's feeling the MSU love
Recent MSU recommit Nick Marsh was at the showcase event representing River Rouge High School. Marsh originally committed to the Spartans in July 2022. He decommitted in March, re-evaluated his recruitment and committed again to the Spartans earlier this month.
It seems as if the pressure has been relieved from Marsh’s shoulders after he committed to head coach Mel Tucker and the Spartans.
“I feel less pressure,” Marsh told Spartans Illustrated. “I’m just ready to focus on the season, just focus on getting better. I’m just focused on hitting that weight room and being ready for the next one (this fall). I’m just trying to do my job, help my team get better. This fall, I just want to get stronger, faster and better.”
Staying on the topic of Marsh’s recruitment, if it weren’t for the persistence of the coaching staff, he may not have recommitted. Wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins and assistant wide receivers coach Tino Smith kept in constant contact with Marsh even after he decommitted.
“It’s just straight love,” Marsh said about Hawkins and Smith. “Me and the coaches have a great relationship. Me and Coach Hawk have a tight relationship, we talked on the phone the other day. Me and Coach Tino, we’re pretty tight. It’s just family.”
Even constant love from the Spartan fan base played a factor in Marsh’s decision to recommit.
“It’s been nothing but love,” Marsh said about the MSU fan base. “That’s what it’s been from the jump. Just the same thing that pretty much happened the first time (I committed), but just receiving more love.”
Takeaway 2: Spartan Dawg Con is an important event on the Michigan State recruiting calendar
Spartan Dawg Con will take place in East Lansing on July 28 and 29. Many former Spartan players and current Spartan players will be in attendance. In addition, many MSU commits and targets will be there.
To see the full list of visitors at Spartan Dawg Con, click here.
Almost every major program hosts an event similar to the Spartan Dawg Con due to the dead period being lifted late in July. It’s a time for current and past players to network with commits and targets.
While at Wayne State, Spartans Illustrated learned of a few new visitors to East Lansing for the event. That list includes three-star safety Desmond Straughton from Roseville.
“Just meeting all the players and the people that went there before me,” Straughton said when asked about what he is looking forward to about the event. “I can see Tyrell (Henry) again because he used to go to Roseville and he went to Michigan State, so I can see him again and say ‘what’s up’ to him.”
2025 targets from Belleville High School Andre Thomas Jr. (three-star linebacker) and Antwon Thomas (three-star wide receiver) both plan on attending Spartan Dawg Con. Both players are in constant communication with the MSU coaching staff, but have not received offers yet.
Also from Belleville High School is 2025 five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood. He is being recruited by some of the top programs in the country and he isn’t sure which campus he will be visiting in late July.
2025 three-star athlete Cashus Shivers from Cass Tech plans to be in East Lansing for Spartan Dawg Con.
“I got the invite to Spartan Dawg Con,” Shivers told Spartans Illustrated. “I really just want to meet the other recruits (while I’m on campus). I just want to bond with them, bond with the coaches, bond with my position coach (Coach Barnett) a little more.”
There are two other Cass Tech players that are considering attending: 2026 athlete Corey “CJ” Sadler and 2026 offensive tackle Khalief Canty Jr.
Getting some top targets on campus to network with past players, current players and the coaching staff is critical for future recruiting classes. MSU is keeping a lot of the details quiet but has also been teasing the weekend via social media. Spartans Illustrated will keep you updated.
Takeaway 3: Michigan State continues to develop relationship with one of the top high school football programs in Michigan
Cass Tech is one of the top high school football programs in the state of Michigan. The Technicians have won three MHSAA Division I state championships in the past 12 years (2011, 2013 and 2016). Four current NFL players are Cass Tech alumni. Two players on the spring MSU roster attended Cass Tech: running back Jaren Mangham and wide receiver Sebastian Brown. Freshman defensive end Jalen Thompson also attended Cass Tech.
Current Cass Tech head coach Marvin Rushing has been with the program since 2012, previously working under previous head coach Thomas Wilcher. He is entering his third season as head coach of the Technicians. Rushing got the job when Wilcher took Michigan State’s director of community and high school relations position.
“With Coach Wilcher’s move to Michigan State, I got my opportunity to live my dream (as head coach of Cass Tech),” Rushing told Spartans Illustrated.
Despite Wilcher not being on MSU’s staff anymore, Cass Tech still has a great relationship with Tucker and the Spartans. Rushing speaks highly of Tucker and likes what he is building in East Lansing.
“We’ve got a great relationship with them,” Rushing said. “We kind of try to resemble a lot of what Coach Tucker does at Michigan State. The way they’re built is the way we wanna be built. We wanna be disciplined, we wanna be physical, we wanna knock the snot off somebody’s mouth, and we want to be great off the field.”
Cass Tech had an impressive season last year. The Technicians made it all the way to the state semifinals before losing to Belleville, 29-28, in overtime.
Takeaway 4: The relationship between Michigan State and Belleville High School is important
Along with Cass Tech, Belleville High School also has one of the top football programs in the state. The reigning MHSAA Division I state champions boast a crop of talent, including the aforementioned Underwood who is receiving offers from major programs, including MSU.
Another high school head coach that has a great relationship with MSU is Belleville’s Calvin Norman who recently took the Belleville job in early May. The Tigers have had three different head coaches since the beginning of the 2022 season. Jermain Crowell was fired in November 2022 for violating MHSAA’s undue influence rule. DeJuan Rogers took a job as the defensive backs coach at Tiffin University.
“I know the coaches [at MSU],” Norman said about his relationship with MSU. “I like to tell this funny story all the time. No disrespect to the coaches or anything like that, but when I was at Cody (High School), I would talk to the Michigan State coaches all the time. They knew who I was and we would chop it up.”
Belleville is looking to earn a third straight state title after winning in 2021 and 2022. While it is hard to win three straight championships, Belleville certainly has the talent with Underwood leading the Tigers at quarterback.
“He brings everything to the team,” Norman said about Underwood. “I like to say about him, all the time, that he checks all the boxes – good attitude, good ball player, good work ethic, you name it, he checks that box. He gets good grades, he’s a good student, he checks the box. He’s great.”
The East Lansing to Belleville pipeline is a competitive and important one as Michigan State continues to develops relationships with high school recruits.
Takeaway 5: Top prospects in Michigan are transferring to IMG Academy. Is that good for recruiting?
This is more of a question rather than a takeaway. It’s a question to which there isn’t a definitive answer. For context, two of the top prospects in the state of Michigan - 2026 cornerback AJ Marks and 2025 four-star athlete Alex Graham - both announced their decision to head to IMG Academy.
Marks just completed his freshman year at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s and Graham recently completed his sophomore year at Cass Tech. Graham and Marks are cousins and will room together at IMG Academy. Both players have offers from Michigan State.
“I love Michigan State,” Marks told Spartans Illustrated. “They’re doing everything they can possibly do (to get better). Especially being a young team last year, they’re showing a lot of improvement. I really like Michigan State. I feel like MSU (has a lot of qualities) I look for in a college.”
Graham echoed Marks’ sentiment about MSU. He has been well-connected with MSU secondary coach Harlon Barnett.
“Most definitely, (Michigan State is a good program),” Graham said. “I feel like being with Coach Barnett, he’s gonna really teach you a lot and make you a better player, make you a better man, too.”
Graham and Marks have received interest from some of the top, most successful programs in the country. While both players plan to visit MSU’s campus, they will not be in East Lansing for the upcoming Spartan Dawg Con due to their new location in Bradenton, Florida.
With Graham and Marks being so far away, it’s difficult for them to visit MSU's campus. While programs like Alabama, Clemson, Michigan, Ohio State and others can point to recent, long-term, sustainable success, MSU has to sell recruits on being a part of the turnaround as opposed to continuing the excellence that past players already established. To do that, getting targets to campus is critical. That’s a main reason why there was a spike in commitments in the 2024 class after official visits. At top programs, there is more blind trust in established coaching staffs and the process that happens on a day-to-day basis.
Graham and Marks will likely see better competition and develop more as football players, and as people away from home. However, it will not play into MSU's hands as it will be difficult to land their commitments from far away as opposed to just across the state.