EXCLUSIVE: MSU Football Again Challenges Rival Michigan in Recruiting

2026 safety Deacon King had a camp with the Michigan Wolverines and an unofficial visit with the Michigan State Spartans. In this Spartan Nation exclusive, King discusses why the Spartans stood out most.

Nov 24, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; A Michigan State Spartans helmet sits on a bench during the second half game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports / David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports

2026 safety Deacon King, from Westfield, Indiana, was at a mega camp held at the University of Indianapolis. That was when he met the Michigan State Spartans secondary coach, Blue Adams, and cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin, among others. The Spartans reached out to King on June 15, the day coaches are allowed to contact players entering their junior season via text, phone, or email.

King was told the Spartans were interested, and that they wanted him to visit East Lansing. They liked his potential as a coverage safety, which will need to be developed, and his overall physicality and ability to fly around the ball.

King competed at Michigan's last football camp of the summer, where he ran a 4.5 40-yard dash and competed in one-on-ones. He met with Tony Alford, the running backs coach for the Wolverines. King said Michigan wants to watch him develop, but they liked his numbers and what they saw from him.

On his way home, King stopped by Michigan State for an unofficial visit.

"We went through their football facility, we went through their weight room and we saw where they meet for their positions," King told me. "I got to see their field, their stadium."

King said what stood out to him was how comfortable the Spartan coaches were with his parents.

"They weren't like robots, they were acting like normal people, and trying to get to know me and my family," he said.

King said he can see himself at Michigan State, and that they are in his Top 3 teams. The other two teams are Purdue and Notre Dame.

King has not yet been rated by 247Sports, but he is a 6-foot-1, 197-pound thumper whose name has been circulating recently. He stood out at a recent Notre Dame Irish Invasion camp.

"From the defensive backfield, King is a 'stick-em' hitter, building momentum downhill before latching onto ball carriers and driving them directly into the ground, limiting their ability to fight for extra yardage," wrote Eric Thomas of 247Sports. "When in coverage, King will play the ball in the air when he has an advantageous position on the receiver, although his primary avenue of disrupting passes comes from playing through the body of the receiver at the catch point.

"King has an element of 'Johnny on the spot' in his tape, finding himself well-positioned to pick off tipped passes or scoop up forced fumbles. Ultimately, turnover numbers do come down to a significant amount of luck, but King's ability to always be around the ball is a developed edge that showcases his instincts and his speed to flow to the ball, and he has good awareness to maximize his opportunities in chaotic moments."

King said he was working on his fundamentals in coverage, staying in-phase and finishing his tackles.

With a good junior season King could end up snagging more Power 4 offers.

Michael France is Sports Illustrated's Michigan State recruiting beat writer, covering all things Big Ten recruiting for Spartan Nation. Be sure to follow him on Twitter/X@michaelfrancesi for exclusive Spartans recruiting coverage.

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