MSU Offers Prodigious Young DB
The Michigan State Spartans are continuing to look at younger prospects who offer high ceilings but won't step foot on campus for quite a while. This staff has had a history of starting young and building long-term connections to bolster their chances when the time comes for a recruit to make a decision.
Perhaps one of the best coaches on the staff who has followed that idea is Michigan State cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin. For example, Martin offered 2025 cornerback LaRue Zamorano III very young, was scouting him at an even younger age than that -- and now Zamorano is a Spartans commit.
Based on one scouting report by 247Sports, that investment could really pay off:
"Zamorano is one of the region’s top defensive back prospects with a very high ceiling," Greg Biggins wrote. "At 6-2, 180 pounds, he has very good size for the corner position and can smother an opposing receiver at the line of scrimmage. He’s a physical player who will come up and hit you and is one of the better open field tacklers in the region. He has the size to match up with the bigger receivers and runs well enough to make plays down the field. He doesn’t panic in trail technique and is able to make plays on the football without clutching or holding. ... He’s a high Power 4 prospect with the ability to be a multi-year starter at the college level and the talent to play on Sunday’s as well."
Now, it looks like Martin is starting young again with 2028 cornerback Phoenix Evans of Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey. The freshman cornerback is 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds, holding 11 offers already. A very telling sign.
Penn State (one of the best recruiting schools in the country), Pitt, Boston College, Purdue, Syracuse, and West Virginia. The Spartans' dedication to finding recruits at a young age, making a calculated projection and offering could be the X-factor for this staff.
In the age NIL collectives, loyalty on the recruiting trail could go a long way. Evans projects to fit the prototypical Martin cornerback, likely to reach over 6 feet and maintain good length.
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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