Thoughts on 2013 Recruiting Class

Unfortunately, I don't have time these days to write up detailed posts about each recruit the Spartans bring in.  But I do still want to take the time to write something brief about each recruit, now that signing day has passed.  At the very least, a post like this can help me better remember who the players are, and perhaps more importantly, I always like to go back and see what I predicted for the various recruits.

First, let me say that, overall, this is is a solid class.  I really don't think there are any players that I would consider "reach" players.  This class may not have as many 4-star recruits as we saw in 2009, but I think this may be the most athletic class of the Dantonio era.  With that, here are my quick thoughts on each player.

Offense

Damion Terry.  Most of Spartan nation is excited about this guy, and so am I.  He put up the big numbers in his senior year, but I'm more excited by his athleticism and skills.  He is the most athletic quarterback MSU has ever brought in, but the most exciting thing is that he has a strong, accurate arm.  The only thing that I can't evaluate from his videos is his decision making.  But I suspect it takes a high level of decision making ability to rack up the stats Terry had in his senior year.  So basically, I expect big things from Terry, though perhaps not until he is at least a redshirt freshman.

Delton Williams. This guy will do big things at MSU, but I just don't know where.  He would likely be an outstanding outside linebacker, but it sounds like he'll first get a shot at replacing LeVeon Bell at running back.  He has all the physical tools to succeed at running back, in fact, he looks faster than Bell and has the frame to put on about as much weight as Bell.  But there is not enough video to fully evaluate things like his vision and decision making.  We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Gerald Holmes.  This guy looks ready to contribute as a freshman and will definitely compete to take Bell's place.  He appears to have put on more mass for his senior year and to have gained more athleticism.  He also shows good vision and a good set of moves.  If the O-line steps up next year, Holmes could have a good year as a freshman.

RJ Shelton.  I love Shelton-like running backs.  He's speedy, shifty, and as I wrote in my write-up of Shelton, he reminds me a little of Emmit Smith.  Unfortunately, if the O-line struggles, Shelton will likely struggle as much as MSU's other shifty backs have recently struggled.  Speed and moves are apparently not enough against B1G defenses.  You gotta have some blocking, or you gotta be LeVeon Bell.

Dennis Finley.  He was the only O-lineman taken in this class and he looks like he has all the physical tools to be a pretty good O-tackle.  He looks pretty raw, but fortunately, the Spartans will have considerable depth at tackle next year, so he should definitely be redshirted.  

Michael Geiger.  Obviously, he is a highly rated kicker.  If he lives up to expectations, we're golden.

Jay Harris.  He is an interesting prospect at receiver.  I don't know that MSU has ever had anyone like him.  He looks more like a running back than a receiver, and he runs like a running back after he's made the catch.  There are some interesting ways he could be used, but unfortunately (for Harris), he likely won't play for a while, considering MSU's depth at receiver.

Trey Kilgore.  He's not as explosive a receiver as Burbridge, but he looks pretty athletic and he has good size.  Unfortunately for Kilgore, MSU's depth at receiver probably means he won't contribute for at least a couple of years.  

Dylan Chmura.  This is one guy I know almost nothing about.  He is very tall, and Dantonio seems to like his strength and blocking ability.  But otherwise, I can't find any video on him.  Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Defense

Jon Reschke.  Everyone has him pegged to replace Max Bullough and I think that's the correct assessment.  Reschke actually looks like a better athlete than Bullough, so the only question is whether he'll be as smart.  From what I've seen and heard, it sounds like he will be.  So MSU looks set at middle linebacker for the next 4 years.

Shane Jones.  He looks very smart, which is what you always want in linebackers.  Unfortunately, I can't find any senior-year video of him, and as a junior he doesn't look as athletic as I would like.  I'm sure there's nothing to worry about, considering that he was just voted AP Division I Defensive Player of the Year for Ohio.  He and Reschke should elevate MSU's already-stellar linebacker play.

Demetrious Cooper.  I'm excited about his speed and athleticism.  He is clearly too thin for a defensive end at this point, so he will need to redshirt.  But I think he'll be having a significant impact by the time he is a sophomore.

James Bodanis.  Physically, he looks impressive.  He's huge and pretty explosive, and that's why I think he has a lot of upside and could turn out to be one of the steals of this class.  I'm hoping for the next Jerel Worthy, but if he turns out to be at least as good as Anthony Rashad White, that ain't bad.

Noah Jones.  I'm really excited about Jones.  His video makes you think of Jerel Worthy.  He anticipates the snap count well, and he is explosive.  This guy looks like a steal, but unfortunately, defensive tackles can take years to emerge, so we'll have to wait a while to see what we have with Jones.

Devyn Salmon.  He is very quick for a defensive tackle.  However, he needs to get much stronger. I saw one video where he was dominated by a stronger, bigger O-lineman.  If Salmon does get a lot stronger, he could have the quickness to do something special.  Like with Noah Jones, it will likely take a few years before we know what we have with Salmon.  

Jalyn Powell.  Physically, this guy has all the tools to be an elite safety or outside linebacker.  In the video I saw, he is the best athlete on the field and he is a hard hitter.  We'll have to see how the tactical side of his game develops, but MSU looks so set at the safety position, for years to come.

Justin Williams.  I'm pretty excited about this guy.  He may be the best athlete in this class.  He's obviously track-fast but he also looks very quick and fast on the field.  That means he will likely contribute in several ways.  Williams could turn into something special, but probably not until his third year or so.

Darian Hicks.  For a corner, I'm worried about his speed; he doesn't look like a 4.4 guy.  But he does have good height, and decent athleticism.  Most importantly, he seems to have the ability to find the ball quickly and to get in good position to compete for the ball as a result.  I wonder if that combination of skills won't ultimately land him at safety.  But then again, Dantonio is the king of recruiting good corners, and Hicks was one of the guys he most wanted for this position.  So I will defer to his judgement.