Michigan State has secured its first running back commitment in the 2024 class.
Anthony Carrie, ranked within the top 10 backs in America on Rivals, is off the board to Mel Tucker and company after an announcement on Saturday evening. It was two weeks ago, though, that Carrie new where he was headed.
"After me and coach Tuck took a ride on a Slingshot...we just chopped it up and talked about his plans for me and how he can make Anthony Carrie's dreams come true," he told Rivals. "That was the turning point for me. That's when I realized it was the place to be and that I have everything I need here.
"After that, I knew this is where I wanted to be at."
Carrie did take another official visit the following weekend, to finalist North Carolina, but the Spartan angle was one he was settled with since the time in East Lansing.
Most of the credit goes to the head Spartan, in Tucker.
"He's really down to earth," Carrie said. "He gives the sense that he really cares about young, African-American male success, which is super important in today's age.
"He's so up-to-date...he's kind of young, too. It makes him more relatable to the guys he recruits more."
As for the football fit, the Spartans have been searching for a back like Carrie for some time and have let him know as much for years.
"Since I was a sophomore, I felt like I belong here," he said. "I feel comfortable with this staff. There was no ice-breaker...I was always comfortable. So that was really big.
"The opportunity is there for me. They've been looking for their guy. Me and coach Jay Johnson and coach (Effram) Reed talk about me being that guy, to get a true opportunity. They see me taking over that role."
Carrie, who made jokes about adapting to the cold of Big Ten country, is MSU's highest-ranked class of 2024 recruit to date, sitting just outside of the Rivals100. He wants to bring more talent with him to Tucker's program, too.
"We're going to go get those guys, we've got to start recruiting!" he said. "We're going to get David Stone, we're going to Kwazi Gilmer, those kind of guys.
"So y'all be ready."
