Another Recruiting Post at ABDFF

You can check out my post on Demetrious Cox at ABDFF.  Enjoy.

See Madaris Post at ABDFF

As most of you likely know by now, Monty Madaris committed to MSU this morning.  I have posted about Madaris at ABDFF.  Enjoy.

See New Post at ABDFF

I was asked by A Beautiful Day For Football to contribute some posts to their blog.  Here is the first of what will hopefully be many.  It is a post tracking how various Spartans are doing in relation to the NFL draft.  Enjoy.

No Go on Holtz

Well, JP Holtz chose Pitt over MSU.  I tell ya, we just don't win head-to-head battles this year.  Oh well, I think Holtz was a bit of a luxury, anyway.  MSU already has 2 tight ends committed and they're pretty loaded at every other position Holtz could have played (i.e., defensive end and outside linebacker).  I guess the good thing is that at this point the Spartans can focus on some bigger needs, like getting another running back and another defensive tackle.  But even those aren't really major needs.

Madaris May Also Commit on Wednesday

There's word that Ohio wide receiver Monty Madaris might also (along with JP Holtz) be making his final decision tomorrow.  Madaris appears set to decide between Cincinnati and MSU.  It would be great to get Madaris and Holtz, but regardless of whether we do or not, tomorrow could go a long way towards wrapping up the recruiting class.  If both commit, the Spartans would pretty much be finished with this class, except that they might still take a guy like Demetrious Cox, Kyle Dodson, or Jaleel Johnson.  If neither commits, I think they probably make an offer to guys with a high probability of committing: guys like Terrell Jackson (defensive tackle), Jaxon Hood (defensive tackle), or Marcus Horne (running back).

Spartans Close to Getting Another Tight End

The Spartans could be close to netting their next recruit.  Pennsylvania's JP Holtz is set to make his decision this Wednesday evening.  He is a highly regarded tight end and outside linebacker, that could also end up playing defensive end.  He visited MSU on January 13, and it looks like he has narrowed his choices down to MSU and Pitt.  Holtz would be an excellent pick-up, but I won't say much more about him until he actually commits.  We've lost quite a few of these head-to-head battles this season, so I've learned my lesson.

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.