Lukusa joins the party, picks MSU

Michigan State's recruiting floodgates remained open on Wednesday with a late-night running of a bull straight through for MSU.

Thiyo Lukusa, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive lineman from Traverse City West, committed to Michigan State via the following Tweet at 11:02 p.m:

Here's the news pic.twitter.com/LmupZ4equv- Thiyo Lukusa (@BigblacK4420) May 14, 2015

Lukusa had been inching toward committing to the Spartans for weeks, and joined the MSU recruiting class on the heels of noteworthy commitments from Demetric Vance, Jonah Morris and Austin Andrews within the last two days.

Lukusa was disappointed that he didn't attend MSU's Green-White Game in late April, an event that kicked off a run of seven commitments in less than three weeks.

Pissed that I can't be at the spring game with bros @Abdul_Adams7 @Siah_10- Thiyo Lukusa (@BigblacK4420) April 25, 2015

But Lukusa attended an MSU spring practice a few days prior to the spring game. During that practice, MSU head coach Mark Dantonio invited Lukusa out to the field to watch offensive line drills with him. Dantonio and Lukusa had a long, smiling conversation during the practice. Dantonio, as is customary, did not push for a commitment and instructed Lukusa to do things at his own pace and, as always, seek the truth.

In the meantime, other schools tried to gain momentum with him. Ohio State and Nebraska coaches visited his school on the morning of April 23. But Lukusa ended his recruitment on Wednesday night.

Lukusa is ranked the No. 10 player in Michigan by Rivals.com. He had offers from Michigan, Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio State, Tennessee, Pitt, Wisconsin and Cornell of the Ivy League. Michigan offered when Brady Hoke was head coach, and had him in town for Michigan's spring game on April 4.

Lukusa's verbal marked Michigan State's second commitment from an in-state recruit in 12 hours, as Detroit Cass Tech safety Demetric Vance selected MSU over Michigan and Ohio State earlier in the day.

This enabled MSU's surging recruiting class to go from zero in-state commitments to two, in a matter of hours, joining six Ohio commitments, to go along with a four-star WR from New Jersey, a highly-recruiting RB from Washington D.C. and an offensive lineman from Chicagoland.

Lukusa's commitment pushed Michigan State's class up to No. 11 in the Rivals.com national rankings, with the Spartans regarded as the leader for four-star WR Donnie Corley and highly-recruited DB Kenney Lyke of Palatine, Ill.

Sources indicate that MSU's committed recruits are orchestrating the timing and release of these verbal commitments. According to sources, Michigan State has other "silent" verbal commitments but the players are releasing news of their commitments at a strategic rate for maximum effect. Sources tell SpartanMag.com that MSU's coaches have nothing to do with this and are allowing the recruits to schedule their announcements as they see fit.

Lukusa's late-night commitment made it difficult for media to get in contact with him for interviews following his decision, but Lukusa's hometown newspaper, the Traverse City Record-Eagle, ran these quotes from him at midnight:

"The commits from the class, coach Dantonio, (assistant) coach (Mark) Staten, (assistant coach Curtis) Blackwell, everyone in the Spartan family. I'm confident they're going to have my back through thick and thin," said Lukusa. "It's just a good fit for me and it's also a little bit of a brotherhood down there so I like it."

Lukusa was first-team All Big North Conference on offensive line and defensive line, and was second-team all-conference for the Titans' basketball team, which went 18-6.

Michigan State coaches cannot comment about unsigned recruits. But Dantonio and offensive line coach Mark Staten sent out joyous yet cryptic Tweets immediately following Lukusa's commitment:

Bright future certain! Rollin again tonight! Congrats!! #Titans #V4MSUagain- Mark Dantonio (@DantonioMark) May 14, 2015

🏈🐃 = #V4MSU- Mark Staten (@Coach_Staten) May 14, 2015