MSU's Courtney Hawkins Gives Insight on Rollercoaster Recruitment of Superstar Freshman

Michigan State freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh could have gone anywhere in the country as a highly sought-after recruit. He chose the Spartans. Twice, actually.

Michigan State Spartans wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins / Aidan Champion

Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh, a freshman, has quickly become one of the biggest names in college football. His incredible performance against Maryland, an eight-reception, 194-yard (with one touchdown) day, earned him national honors throughout the sport.

Marsh's recruitment was a bit of a rollercoaster. He committed to the Spartans early, then decommitted. Months later, he re-committed. He then took late official visits to other schools.

When signing came days before Christmas, it was final. Marsh would make East Lansing his new home.

Throughout the turbulent recruitment of the four-star talent was the steady hand of Michigan State wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins. Hawkins gave insight into the situation when he spoke with reporters on Tuesday.

"You know, we started recruiting Nick early," Hawkins said. "Ninth grade. So I know him really well, know his family. The way he handled things, he handled professionally. He called me, let me know and his reasoning was that he wanted to be honest he didn't want me to hear something through media. So the way it was handled was Nick Marsh. There was no panic here by me -- I knew where I stood at. You know, they wanted to see some other stuff, I wasn't really tripping I just kept quiet, you know, on the phone. Making sure he wasn't going too far, you can go ahead, go take a look, but you know where home is. So just kept the fight man, and that's recruiting these days. When he was ready, he committed."

For the Spartans, securing Marsh once and for all was a massive recruiting victory. It didn't salvage an entire class lost to the throes of the Mel Tucker fiasco, but it gave them a gem and a momentous win.

Marsh was described by 247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks as a "Traitsy mismatch wideout with high-major impact potential and the ceiling to develop into an NFL Draft candidate."

"Big-bodied outside receiver who wins with physical superiority, and increasingly often with athleticism," Brooks wrote. "Showed improvement as a junior in linear acceleration and top-end speed. Legitimately 6-foot-3, 200 pounds with a big catch radius and natural high-pointing acumen. Plays strong when the ball is in the air and after the catch. Dangerous contested-throw combatant. Combines physical traits with body control and adjustment ability to make difficult throws in coverage and along boundaries. Three-sport athlete with track and field experience and bouncy basketball context. Will drop the hammer on top of your head in the open floor or if given the lane."

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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