Spartans Get Their Defensive Tackle

It looks like the recruiting wheels are finally turning again.  The Spartans now have a commitment from Oregon defensive tackle David Fennell.  Folks, there's not much info available about this guy; he is about as under-the-radar as you get.  Only 247 and ESPN have rated him, and they both give him 3 stars.  Other than that, we know he has good size (6'3" and 275 lbs) and according to ESPN he received offers from Iowa, Central Michigan, Oregon State, Louisville, and Nevada.  So you could think to yourself, "man, this sounds like the Spartans just settled for whatever they could get."  Well, judging from his video highlights, nothing could be further from the truth.   

Folks, this guy seems to have all the tools to eventually become a dominant DT: size, strength, quickness, and relentlessness.  I realize he may be going against weaker competition, but you can still see that he has size and quickness.  Competition doesn't affect those things.  Competition also doesn't affect his relentlessness.  This guy keeps working hard, even when the play seems to have gone far away from him. You can see him never quitting and making tackles that it seems he shouldn't have been there to make.  I realize these are highlights, but I can't help but think that Fennell is one of the most exciting recruits for 2012.  I can't wait to see what he does by his second year in the program.

So now the Spartans have 16 commits, and as I mentioned in the previous post, Mark Dantonio said the Spartans would take between 16 and 20 guys.  I suspect the Spartans will end up with 18, and my guess is that they wrap up with Madaris and Holtz.  I could see them going for 20 only if Kyle Dodson and Jaleel Johnson want to commit at the last moment.  In any case, I am quite happy with today's results.