BREAKING: 4-star TE spurns Mel Tucker, Michigan State Football to commit elsewhere

It's back to the drawing board after the Spartans miss on their top tight end target for the 2024 cycle...

Author:
Matthew Lounsberry
Publish date:
Apr 28, 2023 6:24 PM EDT

In this story:

Michigan State had hoped to add to its 2024 recruiting class on Friday, but instead Mel Tucker and the Spartans missed on one of their top in-state targets.

Four-star Saline (Mich.) tight end Dylan Mesman spurned MSU in favor of Louisville and newly-hired head coach Jeff Brohm (Purdue). Mesman chose the Cardinals amongst a 'Top 5' that included Michigan State, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Auburn.

Mesman is considered the No. 390 overall player in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. The 6-foot-5, 230 pounder is the No. 19 tight end and No. 8 player from the state of Michigan in the class. He had 21 scholarship offers, which included Miami, Boston College, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Pittsburgh and several others in addition to his 'Top 5'.

Mesman had 29 receptions for 245 yards and six touchdowns as a junior last season.

The fact that Mesman is a Michigan State legacy — his father played football for the Spartans, while his mother played basketball — makes this a disappointing result.

Michigan State will turn to other tight end options in four-star Jaden Reddell (Peculiar, Mo.), four-star JaCorey Whitted (McCalla, Ala.), three-star Eric Karner (Elmhurst, Ill.) and three-star Aiden Steinfeldt (Bloomington, Ind.).

Prior to Mesman's commitment to Louisville, Michigan State had already missed on another four-star, in-state tight end prospect in Brady Prieskorn out of Rochchester, who committed to the rival Wolverines earlier this week.

Michigan State has several options at tight end heading into the 2023 season. The Spartans brought in three transfer tight ends this offseason — Ademola Faleye (Norfolk State), Jaylin Franklin (Wisconsin) and Tyneil Hopper (Boise State) — as they look to replace departed TEs Daniel Barker and Tyler Hunt.

Michigan State returns veterans Maliq Carr, Jackson Morse and Evan Morris to the position, and have a crop of young options in redshirt freshmen Micheal Manunas and Jack Nickel and true freshman Brennan Parachek. Quarterback-turned-tight end Hamp Fay entered the transfer portal back on April 18 and has since committed to Oklahoma.

The Spartans are off to a slow start in the 2024 recruiting cycle, with only four commitments currently in the class. Four-star Westland Hialeah (Fla.) cornerback Jamari Howard (Ranked No. 101 nationally) and four-star Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Riverdale CB Jaylen Thompson (No. 382) headline the class, while three-star Mt. Pleasant (Mich.) interior offensive lineman Andrew Dennis (No. 692) and three-star Baltimore (Mary.) St. Frances Academy IOL Logan Bennett (No. 1052) are also in the fold.

Back on March 7, MSU lost its highest-ranked 2024 commit when four-star River Rouge (Mich.) wide receiver Nick Marsh re-opened his recruitment. The Spartans are still in the hunt to get Marsh back in the fold, but they have their work cut out for them in the battle for the No. 79 overall player in the country.

Michigan State's class ranks No. 39 in the country and ninth in the Big Ten as of April 28, and the Spartans have seen several targets choose other options in recent weeks.

Michigan State Verbal Commitments, Class of 2024

Four-star CB Jamari Howard; Westland Hialeah High School, Hialeah, Fla.; No. 101 nationally, No. 12 Cornerback, No. 18 in state of Florida
Four-star CB Jaylen Thompson; Riverdale High School; Murfreesboro, Tenn.; No. 378 nationally, No. 33 Cornerback, No. 9 in state of Tennessee
Three-star IOL Andrew Dennis; Mt. Pleasant High School; Mount Pleasant, Mich.; No. 556 nationally, No. 33 Interior Offensive Lineman, No. 12 in state of Michigan
Three-star IOL Logan Bennett; St. Frances Academy; Baltimore, Mary.; No. 1066 nationally, No. 78 Interior Offensive Lineman, No. 31 in state of Maryland

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