Michigan State set to host 5-star defensive lineman this weekend
Say what you will about Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker, but the man knows how to get talented prospects on campus in East Lansing.
On Tuesday, five-star Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy defensive lineman David Stone confirmed that he will be visiting Michigan State this coming weekend (Jan. 14-15). He is considered the No. 9 overall prospect, the No. 2 defensive lineman and the No. 3 player in the state of Florida in the Class of 2024, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
On Dec. 23, Stone included Michigan State in his "Top 10", which also featured Oklahoma, Texas A&M, USC, LSU, Oregon, Alabama, Miami, Tennessee and Florida. That same day, a pair of recruiting reporters for 247Sports' Spartan Tailgate, Justin Thind and Corey Robinson, put in "crystal ball" predictions in favor for MSU to land Stone.
TRENDING🔮: Huge #MichiganState 2024 5 ⭐️ DL target and #9 player in the nation David Stone, has just received two crystal balls to the Spartans😱 #GoGreen
— Michigan State Content (@msucontent) December 23, 2022
MEL’S FIRST 5 STAR⁉️⁉️ pic.twitter.com/LqWnYE5hZX
A native of Oklahoma, the Sooners appear to be Michigan State's biggest competition in the battle for Stone. Oklahoma has five "crystal ball" predictions in their favor, including one from national recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong, though each of those five predictions came prior to the latest from Thind and Robinson.
Stone has garnered 30 scholarship offers so far. Outside of this Top 10, he's also received offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, Texas and other brand-name programs.
Michigan State offered Stone in April 2022 after hiring defensive line coach Marco Coleman, who has since made his return to Georgia Tech this offseason. However, the Spartans remain in strong contention for Stone due to the recruiting prowess of pass rush specialist Brandon T. Jordan.
This weekend will mark the third visit to East Lansing for Stone, who visited last summer at the "Spartan Dawg Con" in July, before returning on Oct. 15 during Michigan State's double-overtime victory over Wisconsin on homecoming.
Stone has a relationship with fellow Oklahoma native and Michigan State signee Bai Jobe, who submitted his letter of intent to the Spartans this past December as part of MSU's 2023 recruiting class.
Michigan State is off to a strong start with its 2024 recruiting class, which is currently ranked No. 11 in the country. The Spartans have verbal commitments from a trio of four-star prospects — River Rouge (Mich.) wide receiver Nick March (No. 74 player overall), Westland Hialeah (Fla.) cornerback Jamari Howard (No. 166) and Murfreesboro (Tenn.) cornerback Jaylen Thompson (No. 258).
