Folks, it's been said that this could be the best recruiting class of the Dantonio era, and I think that we can safely say that's true for the defensive talent. IF it all pans out, this class has the talent to take MSU's d-line and safeties to unheard of heights. The linebackers and corners should be solid, though I don't think they improve on what MSU already has for those groups. Overall, this class could help MSU's defense field Alabama-type talent within 2 or 3 years.
On offense, the talent looks solid, but I don't think it dramatically improves on what MSU already has or has had (in the past few years) at most of the positions. However, if Montae Nicholson ends up at wide receiver, then we're looking at a step up at wide receiver. He has Plaxico Burress kind of talent. Overall, the offensive talent in this class is something to be happy about, but I wouldn't say that it will allow MSU to field Alabama-type talent on offense in the near future.
With that, let me pass along my quick take on each member of the 2014 class.
Miguel Machado. Somehow missed him when I first created this post, and I don't know how, since I'm quite excited about this kid. He reminds me of Fou Fonoti, but he seems to be a little bigger, and possibly stronger and quicker. He also shows good aggressiveness and a good motor, which makes him a very good match for MSU's style of offense. He is another JUCO kid who should immediately be able to compete for the starting right tackle position. But even if he doesn't win that position, he should provide valuable depth at a position that was getting a bit thin. I wouldn't be surprised if Machado becomes a 2-year starter, though he will have to beat out some other talented guys.
T.J. Harrell. He was considered a 3-star recruit by most recruiting services, but he had offers from several top programs. So something doesn't add up. Perhaps it's because most recruiting services list him as a safety, and I would agree that he doesn't have elite explosiveness for a safety. But MSU recruited him to play linebacker, and that's where he really looks like a 4-star recruit. His athleticism is excellent for a linebacker, but what's more impressive is his ability to find the ball and his aggressive tackling. He'll need to add some size, but I could see him contributing by year 2, and perhaps even starting by year 3.
Malik McDowell. Don't want to say too much about McDowell until he actually makes it to campus. But he clearly deserves his 5-star rating. He will need to work on technique, but he is certainly very athletic, strong, and disruptive. If he makes it to campus, he could definitely contribute as a freshman.
Craig Evans. He is one of the highest-rated recruits in this class. He does look strong and he consumes a lot of space, but he will need to continue working on becoming more explosive and disruptive. Dantonio suggested that Evans may contribute as a true freshman, but I think that will be easier said than done, considering that MSU is quite loaded at DT. Even if he plays as a freshman, I don't think he'll have a significant impact until his second year in the program. To me he looks like he's going to need a year with Ken Mannie and a year of working on technique.
David Hedelin. Still waiting for word on his LOI, but Hedelin is actually one of the guys I'm most excited about. He's supposed to be an OT, but he moves and hits like a fullback. So he has the athleticism to play left tackle, but he'll need to add about 30 pounds. He is a JUCO kid, so he should be able to contribute early, if he gets to campus.
Montae Nicholson. He's one of the highest-rated recruits in the class and for good reason. He is an outstanding athlete who could excel at safety or wide receiver. At wide receiver, he could dominate like Plaxico Burress once did. But I'm sure the defensive coaches will fight to keep him on their side.
Montez Sweat. He is one of the lowest-rated recruits in this class, but he clearly has the tools to be one of the top guys by the time it's all said and done. Unfortunately, I can only find video of Sweat playing basketball. Still, you can see that he has the size and athleticism to be an elite defensive end -- which is what Dantonio mentioned he would play. I can see him easily getting around most offensive tackles. I wouldn't be surprised if he also turned into the next Dion Sims, who went from basketball to tight end. He's likely raw, so he probably won't start to really contribute until his third year in the program.
Madre London. I originally thought of London as more of a slashing runner like former Stanford running back Stepfan Taylor. But I'm thinking that he moves more like Chicago running back Matt Forte. He's not going to break off 60-yard runs, but it looks like he has the vision and power to deliver LeVeon Bell kind of productivity. There are rumblings that he could play as a true freshman, but I don't quite see that happening, unless there are a lot of injuries. The Spartans are too loaded at running back next year. Nonetheless, London should start to contribute significantly by his second year.
Jake Hartbarger. The Spartans have a good track record with kickers, so I trust that Hartbarger will be another good one by year 2.
Nick Padla. He is one of the lower-rated players in the class, but he has a great frame and good aggressiveness. Kind of reminds me of Jack Conklin, who obviously turned out to be quite the diamond in the rough. Of course, only time will tell if Padla is really another diamond in the rough. I could see him making contributions at guard earlier in his MSU career, and perhaps eventually moving out to tackle. In short, I'm hoping Padla is another Conklin, but I will settle for another Dan France.
Robert Bowers. He is not that highly rated, but I think he's one of the more exciting guys in this class. He is clearly in the mold of Shilique Calhoun and Demetrius Cooper: a long, fast kid who needs to add some size and strength. That formula has been working well for the Spartans, and I expect it to work again with Bowers. He has all the tools, including the aggressiveness and "high motor." I expect him to take a similar developmental trajectory as Calhoun: redshirt the first year, make some plays the second year, and then really start to emerge by year three.
Matt Morrissey. He has the tools to be a solid safety or receiver. He has good size, awareness, and aggressiveness. His speed is decent. I could see him evolving into an elite linebacker, but he would need to gain about 30 pounds, which might not be easy for him to do. Since MSU is loaded at linebacker and since they are bringing in 4 linebackers in this class, Morrissey's best opportunity for early playing time will come at safety and wide receiver -- where MSU could be a little thin in a couple of years.
Gerald Owens. If he can manage his weight, Owens could turn out to be a star. He really looks like TJ Duckett. But you never know with running backs. Many have the talent, but they end up lacking something, like vision or the ability to learn pass protection. Owens seems to have all the tools, but we'll see where he ends up. He could be like Delton Williams and get some carries as a freshman, especially in goal line situations. But he'll have to show that he can protect the ball.
David Beedle. He's the least hyped of MSU's DT recruits, but Beedle has some excellent quickness and size. He has the tools to develop into a very good DT by his third or fourth year. But I also wouldn't be surprised if he moved to offensive guard. MSU is deep now at DT, and they have not recruited any guards in 2 years.
Jalen Watts-Jackson. He is one of the lower-rated recruits in the class and in the limited video that is available I don't see much explosiveness. But JWJ was only a junior in that video, and he did impress the coaches at a summer camp with his speed and vertical jump. So he is likely a much different player now than in the video I saw. So there is not much info to evaluate him by, but I will say that his vertical and his ability to go up for the ball in the air are traits that could make him a solid safety. But as a safety he would also have to stop the run, so he would need to put on some mass. We'll have to wait and see what happens with JWJ.
Vayante Copeland. He is one of the higher-rated recruits in this class with the gifts to play corner or running back. He will very likely be a corner, but the coaches may be tempted to give him some plays on offense and special teams -- though I don't think that he'll be able to beat out RJ Shelton to get those plays. Copeland could be the highest-rated corner MSU has been able to recruit in the Dantonio era, so big things will be expected from him. He has all the tools, but only time will tell if he can bring them all together.
Chris Frey. For a linebacker, he has a good frame, pretty good mobility, and good field awareness. He will need to keep adding size and strength, but I could see him becoming the starting middle linebacker in a couple of years. Of course, MSU is always loaded at linebacker, so the competition will be fierce. If the competition turns out to be too fierce, Frey looks like he could make a nice contribution at fullback.
Matt Sokol. He has outstanding size and I would say elite athleticism for a tight end. So the potential is there. But tight ends also need to be able to block and run routes, so there's no guarantee that Sokol's potential will be fulfilled. If he can figure out the fundamentals, and if he can avoid injuries, he has a bright future ahead of him. But he also has several talented players to compete with, so I think he won't start to emerge until his third year in the program.
Enoch Smith. He is one of the better DT recruits MSU has brought in, not just in this class, but in the last few classes. He is a little small, but he is very strong and relatively quick. His size and the talent ahead of him will probably limit his contributions in the first 2 years, but he should have a shot at starting by his third year.
Brian Allen. He's a little small for a center, but he has everything else going for him. The center position is part of the family business (with brother Jack already starting at center for MSU). He is also a wrestling champ, so he has good quickness and a great understanding of leverage. He should take over for Jack in a couple of years, but until then, I don't know if he'll be able to get on the field. Perhaps we'll see him play some guard by year 2.
Chase Gianacakos. Ken Mannie will need to help him reshape his body, but he has a good frame and pretty good quickness for offensive tackle. I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up at guard for the first few years, since MSU has recruited several offensive tackles in the last few years. But I also wouldn't be surprised to see him develop into a solid tackle by his junior year.
Deon Drake. If he has fully recovered from injury, Drake is one of the more exciting recruits in this class. He has speed, field awareness, and best of all, a Denicos Allen type of toughness. He looks like he could play outside or middle linebacker, but he will have to add quite a bit of size to play middle. He looks like he could contribute by year 2, but we'll have to see how it's going with things like injuries and learning the playbook.
Byron Bullough. He looks like he is the most athletic of the Bullough brothers, and he seems to have the same kind of football intelligence. If he can add size and keep his speed, there is no reason why he can't match and perhaps surpass what Max did. The only obstacle is the competition at linebacker. MSU is now set to be loaded at the position for years to come, so several talented guys won't get to play as much as they hope.
