Davi Belfort, a four-star quarterback out of Miami (FL) Gulliver Prep, made it back to East Lansing for his second visit to Michigan State over the weekend. Holding offers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Oregon, Texas A&M, Belfort is one of the most sought after signal callers in the country.
He first visited Michigan State back in June, a two-day trip on campus in which the Spartans made a big impression.
"That trip we took in the summer was amazing. We really got to get to know the coaches there. We got to spend some really good quality time with Coach (Jay) Johnson. Coach Tucker, and the whole offensive staff. It was great," Belfort said. "I really felt that family atmosphere. I felt like I built a good relationship with the players. It could be a place where I possibly see myself playing so that is why I decided to come back."
While not on campus, Belfort has built a strong relationship with Jay Johnson speaking with the coach almost daily.
"We talk pretty much everyday. It is great. Coach Johnson and I, and I have talked to Coach Tucker on the phone as well," Belfort said. "They know me really well and I feel like I know them really well too.'
So what makes Belfort a top target for Michigan State and one of the most highly recruited QBs in the 2024 class?
"Coach Johnson tells me I am the full package. I can do everything or make any throw on the field. If the pocket breaks down I can make a play with my legs and still look downfield, if there is nobody open I can still move the chains with my legs." Beflort said. "He thinks I would fit perfect in his offense and what they are trying to do offensively."
When arriving in East Lansing on Saturday, Belfort went right to Spartan Stadium taking in the tailgating crowd and atmosphere on campus.
"We went straight to the stadium and talked to Coach Johnson for a good fifteen minutes before he went to lunch," Belfort said. "Then we went out on the field and I talked to Coach Tucker. He was just checking in on us and talked to my mom and dad," Belfort said. "Then we saw the game. The atmosphere was great. It was an electric crowd.
"It was the first Big Ten game I have been to. It was crazy, I have been a couple places, we went to Florida earlier this year and the environment at Michigan State was crazy. It was different. We loved it."
Weather won't be an impact for Belfort, experiencing East Lansing in both the summer time and now in mid-October.
"The weather doesn't have a big impact on me. I just want to go to a place that fits me best and can develop me best. I don't mind wherever that is. I feel like I can get used to the cold weather," Belfort said. "Obviously when I went in the summer it was beautiful there. The weather was great. This time it wasn't too bad so that won't be a problem for me."
Once the game ended, Belfort and his family made their way to the locker room to take in the team celebration.
"After the game we went to the locker room. I loved the speech Coach Tucker gave to his players," Belfort said. "It was awesome. That speech says so much about Coach Tucker. He is a players coach and he has trust in his players. He was just saying what a great job they did fighting for the entire game as a team. At the end he said lets go beat Michigan so that was really cool."
In the locker room, Belfort spoke to Payton Thorne who had just thrown a game winner in overtime to walk the Spartan’s off on homecoming.
"I talked to Payton after the game as well. He told me about what went into him checking out of that play (final pass to Reed). It was great. He is a really good player and a great person," Belfort said. "That is really really big for me. That is stuff Coach Johnson tells me all the time. That they run a NFL type offense and they give their quarterback freedom. When he saw the defense, they had a screen called, but he saw the man-to-man matchup and took it and Coach Johnson was happy. He trusts his quarterbacks to do that and he that is what he wants them to do. I thought it spoke a lot that he trusts his guys to that, it was very cool."
Before heading back home to Miami, Belfort and his family spent Sunday morning walking around campus.
"On Sunday morning we got to see a little bit of campus in the morning. The facilities, we pretty much covered all of that in the summer," Belfort said.
After getting the full Michigan State experience, between his two campus visit, Belfort is comfortable calling the Spartan’s one of his main contenders.
"I really feel like Michigan State checks all the boxes for me and what I want. They are definitely very, very high in my recruitment right now."
Belfort visited Florida earlier this fall. He planned to visit Alabama against A&M but the hurricane moved rescheduled one of his games.
As far as other campus visits, Belfort tells SpartanMag.com he is hoping to attend the whiteout at Penn State next weekend, Auburn versus Alabama for the Iron Bowl, and he also hopes to hit Tennessee and Virginia Tech for games as well.
He also tells SpartanMag.com he is aiming to have a final decision sometime next spring.