Rivals Recap: Michigan State Elite Camp

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State hosted its annual one-day Elite Camp on Saturday, and it featured commitments, prospects that had already been offered and others who were looking for offers from the Spartans.

Within a minute of walking into the complex during registration, one player jumped off the field, and that was 6-foot-8, 295-pound Walled Lake (Mich.) Western offensive tackle Robert Hudson. What is impressive about Hudson is that his weight is proportioned well across his frame and he has a great football build. Hudson played primarily on defense as a junior and is just making the transition to the offensive line. There were times his technique faltered, but he also showed flashes of excellence, primarily after locking onto defenders where he was able to extend and control. Hudson does not have great feet, but they are not terrible either and right tackle looks like a suitable spot in college for the three-star lineman.

Probably the single most impressive player on the afternoon was Flint (Mich.) Southwestern Academy defensive end Deron Irving-Bey. We have seen Irving-Bey several times this off-season and ranked him as the No. 19 strongside defensive end in the 2017 class, so his performance was not a surprise. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound rising senior is a very impressive combination of size, athleticism and power and proved nearly unblockable during the one-on-one portion of camp. Michigan State has already offered Irving-Bey and sits in great position in his recruitment.

While Hudson was the most physically impressive offensive lineman in attendance, the overall top performer along the offensive line was Dearborn, Mich., 2017 tackle Mustafa Khaleefah. The 6-foot-6, 285-pound Khaleefah has been picking up recruiting momentum lately and he already holds offers from most of the Mid-American Conference, while the Power Five offers may not be far behind. Khaleefah has work to do adding bulk and trimming out his frame, but the physical tools are present and fundamentally he is ahead of the game. Both he and Hudson have high upsides, but Khaleefah may be more of a sure thing. If Michigan State does make an offensive line offer out of this camp, it would be a tough call between the two in-state guys.

After producing dozens of top prospects in the 2000’s, Cleveland’s Glenville Academy has gone through a prospect drought over the last few classes. College coaches should check out the Tarblooders this fall, though, to at least see class of 2017 defensive back Coby Bryant. The younger brother of Ohio State safety Chris Bryant, Coby demanded attention with his play. On one particular series, he did not come off the field for three straight repetitions, recording a pass break-up on all three reps. At 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, Bryant has great size and is ultra-competitive. He was effective in both press and off coverage and showed a great feel for the game. Bryant holds six mid-major offers, but his first from a Power Five may not be far off if he continues to play at this level.

While Michigan State quarterback commit Rocky Lombardi was the big name at the position, several class of 2018 quarterbacks also impressed on Saturday. Rockford, Mich., signal caller Jason Whittaker was coming off another solid performance at the Rivals250 Underclassmen Challenge last weekend, and he threw well in front of the Michigan State coaches. Fellow state of Michigan passer Theo Day from Dearborn Divine Child is less known, but is another 6-foot-5 passer who spins a good ball. The third 2018 quarterback who stood out was Palos Heights (Ill.) Stagg’s Kyle Neputy. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Neputy has a great football frame and he spins a beautiful football. His delivery is short but generates plenty of velocity.

Other 2017 prospects who caught our eye with their performance who are currently flying under the radar included Piqua, Ohio defensive tackle Tristen Cox, Homewood-Flossmor (Ill.) wide receiver Tyrice Richie, Sussex (Wisc.) Hamilton offensive lineman Calvin Dassow, Lapeer, Mich., offensive tackle Eddie Brecht, Orlando (Fla.) Bishop Moore defensive end Donovan Winter, Montour (Pa.) McKees Rocks defensive end Mason Cholewa and Lansing (Mich.) Everett defensive back DeShawn Lowery.

Several of Michigan State’s commits were in attendance for Saturday’s camp, but not all worked out. Lombardi did and often teamed up with 2017 wide receiver commit Cody White in one-on-ones, looking to build some rapport for the future. Each prospect performed about to our expectations. Athlete commit Darien Clemons also worked out, but he we did not get to see much of him. Four-star offensive guard Kevin Jarvis was the only commit who was in attendance that did not work out.

Two of Michigan State’s top wide receiver targets were also in attendance, but not working out. Four-star Kahlee Hamler, who recently announced he would be transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., for his senior season, spent a lot of time with his close friend, freshman wide receiver Donnie Corley. St. Louis (Mo.) CBC four-star class of 2018 wide receiver Kamryn Babb arrived after the camp got rolling and spent time with several of the coaches on the sideline.

One prospect reporting a new offer from Michigan State coming out of Saturday’s camp was Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward 2018 cornerback Michael Dowell. The 6-foot, 190-pound Dowell is the younger brother of Michigan State sophomores Andrew Dowell and David Dowell.