Sting Factor: Jah'von Grigsby backs off Michigan State pledge
When a major program loses a key recruit, Rivals.com takes a look at how big of a blow it is to the respective school, analyzing it from a local and national level. To quantify the “sting” of each decommitment, we assign a score from one to 10, with one being no big deal and 10 being a catastrophic hit.
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THE STORYLINE
Jah’von Grigsby committed to Michigan State on Sept. 11. But less than two months later, the three-star safety from Baton Rouge (La.) Scotlandville is back on the market after his decision to back off his pledge.
The Southeast is going to be targeted by new coach Mel Tucker and his staff, a smart move because there are so many talented players in the region but also one that will be challenging because new in-roads will need to be built there.
The former staff in East Lansing did not spend an inordinate amount of time hitting the Southeast, but Tucker has made it a priority and there will be wins and losses along the way.
Three-star athlete Gabe Nealy from Miami Gulliver Prep had also been committed to Michigan State, but he’s now in South Florida’s class.
Grigsby picked the Spartans over Auburn, Purdue and Vanderbilt in September, so those programs and others are expected to be in the chase again.
Michigan State currently has the No. 10 recruiting class in the Big Ten.
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LOCAL REACTION
“This decommitment hurts Michigan State, but it’s going to be part of the new normal with the Spartans beginning to get entangled in more recruiting battles in the Southeast under Tucker. Decommitments seem to be more commonplace in that region than in Big Ten country. Michigan State fans have to learn to take the good with the bad and reboot, so to speak, because the Spartans will continue to recruit Louisiana.
“Grigsby is a fast, competitive hitter with good football IQ. That’s precisely the type of guy Tucker is looking for in enhancing the Nick Saban-type of skill set he wants on defense. Grigsby was one of five DB commitments for the Spartans, and it’s unclear whether Michigan State will look to replace him with another DB and sign five. Michigan State’s offer to Cincinnati commitment Armorion Smith, of River Rouge, Mich., just before Grigsby’s decommitment is an indication that Michigan State might indeed continue to plan to sign five.” - Jim Comparoni, SpartanMag.com
Sting Factor: 6
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NATIONAL REACTION
“Grigsby was a nice get in SEC country for Tucker, and I really felt the Spartans could do a good job developing him in their defense. They have a deep DB class, so it doesn’t hurt from a numbers perspective, but it’s a sting to lose a kid from a talent-rich state in the South.” - Mike Farrell, Rivals national recruiting director
Sting Factor: 6