Michigan State’s first official visit weekend for the 2027 class is here.
The Spartans have a good group coming in to start things off.
Among the headliners is Detroit Country Day four-star tight end Anthony Cartwright. Cartwright is a longtime target of the Spartans and his dad is an alum, but his recruitment has also been national since his freshman year. Oregon and LSU are two of his top schools, and he just wrapped a visit to Stanford. Miami and Michigan are also still very much in the mix.
This will be a very important visit for MSU, as it likely will be the last time they get the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Cartwright on campus prior to a June 28 commitment.
Columbus (Ohio) Academy defensive end Reinaldo Perez is another four-star who will be on campus. Perez is an athletic 6-foot-6, 240-pound edge defender who could move around some in college. Indiana is trending up after he took an official with the Hoosiers. Ohio State, Michigan and others are also still in pursuit. Perez has been to MSU several times already, including in April for a spring practice.
Another big-framed defensive lineman visiting is 6-foot-6, 260-pound Marcellus Young Casario from Rabun Gap-Nachoochee in Georgia. The Spartans offered in March, and defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere III has done a great job even getting MSU an official here. Young Casario also is considering in-state Georgia and Georgia Tech, as well as Arkansas.
Four-star Noblesville (Indiana) offensive lineman Caleb Johnson is a really good all-around prospect who, at 6-foot-5, 275 pounds, could play just about any position on the line. Offensive line coach Nick Tabacca offered Johnson as soon as he took the job in January and head coach Pat Fitzgerald was at Noblesville two days later.
Johnson then took a late January visit to campus. There is stiff competition here, though, in the form of in-state Indiana, Iowa, Auburn and Missouri. Kentucky, Illinois and others still are making attempts as well.
Wide receiver is still a need in the class, and Ramsey (New Jersey) Don Bosco Prep’s Isaiah Alvarez will take his Spartan official this weekend. A quick-footed, skilled 6-foot, 170-pound three-star, Alvarez already took an official to Colorado and also will visit Rutgers and Nebraska before making a decision.
In-state safety Don Spillers from Detroit King will be on his official. The buzz is MSU is the team to beat, though Illinois and Louisville are making attempts. Recently offered La Grange Park (Illinois) Nazareth Academy prospect Henry Sakalas will get to campus for the first time. A 6-foot-4, 190-pound safety, he could move to linebacker in college. Illinois and Nebraska are among the competition there.
A true high school linebacker, Bloomington (Illinois) Central Catholic’s Matthew Brady will be in East Lansing. Brady has been one of the big risers in the Midwest this spring. He had no Power Four offers at the start of April and now is considering MSU, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska and others. A 6-foot-4, 220-pound high school quarterback, Brady has connected well with Spartan linebackers coach Max Bullough.
Powder Springs (Georgia) McEachern cornerback Kayden Battle will be visiting, and the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine has it as largely an MSU-Pittsburgh battle for the 5-foot-11, 170-pound Battle.
A mid-week official visit will come from University of Calgary transfer Franklin Ibelo, a 6-foot-7, 340-pound defensive tackle. He has 30 career tackles (2½ for loss).
Allen Trieu covers Midwest football recruiting for On3. He has been featured on the Big Ten Network on its annual Signing Day Show. His Michigan and Michigan State recruiting columns appear weekly at detroitnews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Trieu: Michigan State Spartans football welcomes official visitors