Trieu: Ohio once again yields potential treasures for Michigan State football

By Allen Trieu
Special to The Detroit News

Michigan State now has 12 verbal commitments in their 2020 recruiting class.

This comes after an official visit weekend where four of the visitors committed to the Spartans.

Linebacker Devin Hightower of Akron Archbishop Hoban was one of three Michigan State commitments from the state of Ohio over the weekend.

Three of those commitments — linebacker Devin Hightower, cornerback Angelo Grose and defensive lineman Chris Mayfield — are from Ohio, a state head coach Mark Dantonio and his staff have recruited heavily during their tenure.

The fourth commitment was speedy Marietta (Ga.) Wheeler wide receiver Ricky White, a longtime Spartan lean who was also considering West Virginia, Georgia Tech and others.

Hightower (6-1, 220 pounds) chose the Spartans over Pittsburgh and more. He likely projects to the STAR linebacker position, but Michigan State’s staff has told him he could play any of the three. Hightower was outstanding for Akron Archbishop Hoban as a junior, helping his team win a state title with two interceptions and seven sacks.

“I just felt at home,” Hightower said. “All the coaches, they’re very genuine. All the players have great things to say about them. My mom had a lot of questions about academics and all that; they answered all the questions to their best ability.”

Mayfield is an exciting prospect because of his athleticism. He has been a varsity basketball player since his freshman year and continues to be a standout on the basketball court at 6-foot-2, 250 pounds.

"This was a player that was athletic enough to be looked at as a linebacker as a sophomore, but now can realistically be seen as a possible defensive tackle if he continues to get bigger,” 247Sports analyst Bill Greene said. “He has quickness and athletic ability.”

Grose brings track speed and athleticism to the secondary. He visited the Spartans in the fall and winter and said he knew then that he wanted to be a Spartan. Once an offer came during the spring, the then-Cincinnati commit quickly made a change.

“I liked the atmosphere when I was there," he said. "Also during the junior day, coach Sheldon White greeted me at the door and actually knew who I was and talked about things that I had done during track season, too. That really left a good impression on me.”

Michigan State long led for White, but the official visit sealed his recruitment. White caught 55 passes for 1,006 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior.

Now into the dead period, colleges cannot host recruits on campus until the end of July.

MSU makes cut for 4-star running back

Running back is one position Michigan State is still actively recruiting in the 2020 class, as the Spartans do not have a verbal commit there yet.

Four-star Brooklyn (N.Y.) Canarsie back Lamy Constant, a physical 6-foot, 190-pound runner is a candidate, as he named the Spartans to a top four which also includes LSU, Texas A&M and West Virginia.

He has yet to visit campus, but said he plans to take an official visit in the fall. That date has not been set at this time.

More information

Devin Hightower profile

Chris Mayfield profile

Lamy Constant profile

Allen Trieu covers Midwest football recruiting for 247Sports. He has been featured on the Big Ten Network on its annual Signing Day Show. His Michigan and Michigan State recruiting columns appear weekly at detroitnews.com.