Meet MSU’s 2006 recruiting class
MSU football head coach John L. Smith and his coaching staff put a large emphasis on shoring up the defense in this year’s recruiting class signing by signing 17 defensive players and 25 total recruits on National Signing day. Joe Rexrode of the Lansing State Journal reports that JLS and staff used early playing time as a major incentive to lure recruits.
“Whether a guy’s a senior or a guy’s a freshman, I’ve always had a motto of playing the best football player that gives us a chance to win games,” said Derrick Jackson, MSU’s first-year defensive line coach. “If we’ve got four freshmen that can go out there and do that for us, we’re gonna have four freshmen out on the football field. I’d like to think that’s not what it’s gonna come down to, but crazy things happen.”
The enticement of early playing time might be one reason MSU’s class is ranked as high as No. 33 in the nation and No. 4 in the Big Ten by some analysts - despite a 5-6 record in 2005 and back-to-back seasons without bowl games for the first time since 1991 and ‘92.
In a separate story from the LSJ, Jon Malavolti reports that MSU had a few surprises on recruiting day, and not all of them were good.
Michigan State’s signing day was highlighted by a last-minute surprise. Well, at least to those outside of the Michigan State coaching circle.
Roderick Jenrette, who told coach John L. Smith at the end of his official visit back on Jan. 22 that he intended on becoming a Spartan, made his choice public Wednesday morning, becoming the final piece of the Spartans’ 25-member 2006 class.
Last but not least, here is a great breakdown of this year’s recruiting class with player profiles of all 25 recruits: