Michigan State Loses Highest-Ranked 2024 Commit...Again
The last two weeks, and spring recruiting in general, have not been kind to Michigan State Football.
The Spartans were dealt another blow, albeit an expected one, on Saturday when Westland Hialeah (Fla.) four-star cornerback Jamari Howard announced he was decommitting from MSU and re-opening his recruitment.
Howard — who is ranked the No. 104 overall prospect, No. 12 cornerback and No. 18 player from the state of Florida, according to 247Sports' composite rankings — had been Michigan State's highest-ranked verbal pledge in the 2024 recruiting cycle. He originally committed to MSU back on Sept. 26 following a visit to East Lansing earlier that month.
This is the second time that the Spartans have lost their highest-ranked commit in this class, with River Rouge (Mich.) four-star wide receiver Nick Marsh (No. 87 overall) decommitting back on March 7. However, Michigan State has a chance to bring the 6-foot-3, 195-pounder back into the fold. Marsh recently released a 'Top 12' with included the Spartans, and will take his final official visit to MSU on June 23 before announcing his decision on July 7.
While Marsh's decommitment came as more of a surprise, Howard choosing to re-open his recruitment falls under the 'bad break' category for Michigan State. The Spartans' coaching staff identified Howard as a high-caliber prospect early, before the 6-foot-2, 175-pounder's recruitment really started to take off. But as Howard began to rise up player rankings, in-state programs like Florida, Miami and Florida State began to take notice and ramp up there efforts to keep the Top 15 cornerback in the Sunshine State.
For now, Howard is scheduled to take an official visit to Michigan State on June 9, but the this battle has shifted mightily in favor of the Florida schools at this point.
With the loss of Howard, Michigan State's 2024 recruiting class is down to just three verbal pledges — four-star cornerback Jaylen Thompson and three-star interior offensive linemen Andrew Dennis and Logan Bennett. The Spartans are set to host several big recruiting weekends this summer, in hopes of building some positive momentum for this class and beyond.
Michigan State Verbal Commitments, Class of 2024
- Four-star CB Jaylen Thompson; Riverdale High School; Murfreesboro, Tenn.; No. 400 nationally, No. 39 Cornerback, No. 9 in state of Tennessee
- Three-star IOL Andrew Dennis; Mt. Pleasant High School; Mount Pleasant, Mich.; No. 562 nationally, No. 34 Interior Offensive Lineman, No. 12 in state of Michigan
- Three-star IOL Logan Bennett; St. Frances Academy; Baltimore, Mary.; No. 1096 nationally, No. 79 Interior Offensive Lineman, No. 31 in state of Maryland
