Spartans land Madaris

At times it seemed Cincinnati (Ohio) Moeller wide receiver Monty Madaris' recruitment went on without him.

The 6-2, 190-pound prospect made it clear that his team and his senior season came first, even when college coaches from across the country were coming at him with scholarship offers.

Eventually Madaris' high school career came to an end, and he began addressing his college future. That process ended this weekend. After days of deliberation between his top two of Michigan State and Cincinnati, Madaris came to the decision that he was ready to be a Spartan.

"I called them giving them a commitment yesterday," Madaris said Sunday night.

Madaris made his official visit to Michigan State the weekend of Dec. 9, following it up with a trip to Cincinnati the weekend of Dec. 16. He considered making additional official visits to Kentucky and Florida State in January, but had visited those schools unofficially and decided he knew all he needed of those programs to make his decision.

The official visit to Michigan State in December gave Madaris a chance to build a relationship with the Spartans players and coaches.

"It was a great experience," Madaris said last month. "I loved the coaches, the players showed me a good time."

That trip made a lasting impression, and Madaris reiterated his continuing interest in the Spartans earlier this month.

"I'm comfortable with them," he said on Jan. 19. "I like the coaches and the school. An old teammate of mine, Marcus Rush, is there."

In Madaris, Michigan State is getting another top receiver in a class that already features several outstanding pass catchers. This past fall he caught 56 passes for 1,137 yards and 16 touchdowns for a 9-4 Moeller squad.

Madaris is ranked as the No. 54 wide receiver prospect in the country and the No. 21 player in the state of Ohio for the class of 2012.