Recruiting Insight: It's football season in Illinois (and MSU is watching)

With the state of Illinois playing its high school football season in the spring, Michigan State’s recruiting evaluators have stepped into The Land of Lincoln for a pair of recent scholarship offers.

Four days after Michigan State offered a scholarship to running back/safety Aidan Laughery of Gibson City (Ill.) Melvin Sibley High School, the Spartans extended an offer to Jared Badie, a 6-foot-5, 218-pound linebacker/defensive end from Oswego (Ill.) East High School.

Both players were surprised by their Michigan State offers. Neither player was aware Michigan State was watching them closely until the scholarship offer came.

Laughery is planning to visit Michigan State the weekend of June 4-6.

Badie is still processing the offer, and is looking forward to investigating Michigan State further.

Both players are close to wrapping up their varsity football seasons, a season which was rescheduled from the fall in the state of Illinois due to COVID-19.

MSU defensive line coach Ron Burton extended the offer to Badie.

“That was the first I had heard from Michigan State,” Badie said. “I believe they are recruiting me as a defensive end.

“He (Burton) said he likes my speed and lenth and ability to get to the passer as well as play in space and drop into coverage.”

That’s an array of skills, which reflects why some schools are recruiting him as a linebacker and others project him as a defensive end

Rivals.com ranks Badie No. 14 in the state of Illinois. He’s listed as the No. 2 LB prospect in the state.

Badie has 11 scholarship offers from Power Five schools. He says Louisville, Texas Tech, Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana and Illinois are the schools that are recruiting him the hardest.

Interest in him has increased as evaluators have finally had a chance to view his junior film, now that Illinois high school football is a month into the season.

“It’s been heating up a little bit,” he said. “I think once I have all of the games posted on Twitter and not just on my Hudl, things will take a bit of a bigger turn.”

Badie is a big, tall, rangy, lean linebacker. He spends time playing outside linebacker as well as middle linebacker in Oswego East’s system. He is growing into his frame nicely, with good athleticism.

“I definitely think I’ve taken strides in my overall game,” said Badie, who has helped Oswego East to a 2-2 record this spring. “I’ve been more physical and dominant, and my overall IQ is a lot better than it used to be. I’ve gotten a lot better.

“But this season has also been a learning experience. This is the first time that I’ve consistently drawn double and triple teams, and had teams game plan for me.”

Badie feels his ability to make an impact on games despite the extra blocking attention speaks volumes to the work he put in during the off-season. He’s looking forward to continuing his work in the off-season as he heads toward what is expected to be a normal, fall football season in Illinois.

Following the special spring season, Badie will map out trips for camps and visits. Michigan State is likely in position to earn a visit if the Spartans begin to match the aforementioned schools in terms of recruiting interest in Badie.

* When Ron Burton served as defensive line coach at Michigan State for former head coach Mark Dantonio, Burton recruited Chicagoland and Washington D.C./Maryland/Virginia.

Under second-year head coach Mel Tucker, Spartan assistant coaches recruit for their position. They aren’t assigned geographic regions.

In recruiting Badie, Burton is back in one of his former recruiting areas, just west of Chicago.

Burton has also been busy his former recruiting backyard of the DMV. On Sunday, he extended an Michigan State scholarship offer to 2023 Top 100 prospect Nycholes Harbor of Washington D.C. Archbishop Carroll.

Harbor is ranked the No. 92 prospect for 2023 by Rivals.com at the athlete position. Michigan State is among the first Power Five schools to offer Harbor, joining Maryland, Mississippi, Pitt, Rutgers, Michigan and Penn State.

Harbor (6-5, 220) is being recruiting on both sides of the line. Michigan State didn’t specify when Burton spoke with Harbor.

“They said whatever position feels best for me,” Harbor said.

So, which position feels best for Harbor?

“Tight end and outside linebacker,” he said.

Dozens more are expected to join the recruiting chase for Harbor, but Michigan State has captured his ear early.

* Tight end Owen Anderson and four-star offensive lineman Jacob Allen, both from The Hun School in Princeton, N.J., are scheduled to take official visits to Michigan State for the weekend of June 18-20.

Anderson (6-4, 235) is a darkhorse tight end recruit with offers from Michigan State and mid-majors. Allen is a four-star recruit, ranked No. 97 in the nation by Rivals.com and is listed as the No. 11 offensive tackle for the class of 2022.

Kevin Wigenton, a teammate of Anderson’s and Allen’s at The Hun School, signed with Michigan State last December as part of the incoming 2021 class.

Wigenton told SpartanMag.com he will be reporting to Michigan State on May 16.

So he’ll be on campus when Allen and Anderson visit?

“Yessir!,” Wigenton said.

* Michigan State commitment Gavin Broscious earned another MVP award over the weekend. He was named offensive line MVP at the Red Dot Big Man Competition in Arizona on Sunday.

That MVP will bookend the one he won on March 27, at the Under Armour All-American Camp.

“Feels good to get back to somewhat normal life,” Broscious said.