Victory 4 MSU

Mark Dantonio struck again in Ohio for the 12th recruit of the 2009 class with the commitment of Derek Hoebing on Sunday. Derek is a 6-6 245 lb tight end from Vermilion, Ohio. He is not currently rated in the recruiting databases, but his name will surely appear soon. Derek chose the Spartans over scholarship offers from Maryland and Virginia. Maryland had been his frontrunner until he visited the Michigan State campus in East Lansing on Saturday. Tight end is certainly a position of need for the Spartans with the loss of Kellen Davis to the NFL and Hoebing is a player that can fill that role someday. Welcome to MSU, Derek!

Link: Detroit News

Detroit Country Day wide receiver Bennie Fowler gave his oral commitment to the spartans on Saturday after an unofficial visit on Friday. He stands at 6-2 and 185 lbs. and is said to be very quick, clocking a 4.36 40-yard dash at MSU’s elite camp in June. His strong performance in practice drills coupled with his junior year highlight tape prompted coach Dantonio to offer Fowler a scholarship. Part of the reason he wants to be a spartan: “It’s a program on the rise, and I want to be a part of that.” Bennie is the 11th commitment for the spartan’s 2009 football recruiting class. Welcome to MSU, Bennie!

Link: Lansing State Journal

Michigan State picked up the commitment of 4-star offensive lineman Nate Klatt from Canal Fulton, Ohio on Monday. Nate had been waiting to hear from Ohio State on a scholarship offer, but OSU had filled their needs at that position. Nate selected MSU over offers from Indiana, Kansas and Northwestern. Klatt is ranked one of the best at his position and measures 6′4″ and 286 lbs. His commitment gives MSU a total of 10 recruits for the 2009 class with seven 4-star and three 3-star recruits according to Rivals. The spartans will likely take around 8 more players for the increasingly phenomenal 2009 class.

Link: The Independent

2009 quarterback recruit Andrew Maxwell of Midland has been selected to attend the Elite 11 quarterbacks camp in San Juan Capistrano, California. The Elite 11 is an annual clinic which teaches the essential drills and techniques to help these rising stars attain the ultimate level – the NFL. Only the best 11 quarterbacks every year are selected for this camp. With Maxwell, MSU will now have two Elite 11 quarterbacks on its roster in 2009 with Keith Nichol also having earned that honor in 2007.

This week MSU offered two elite prospects for the class of 2010. A duo of dual-threat quarterbacks to be exact. With the class of 2009 coming along swimmingly, Dantonio and Co. have the luxury of looking ahead to the following year’s class and making some critical evaluations. Quarterbacks Devin Gardner of Inkster High School and Robert Bolden of Orchard Lake St. Mary’s both attended 7-on-7 camp at Michigan State and were offered scholarships shortly afterward. Gardner stands at 6′4″ and 195 lbs. while Bolden is 6′3″ and 190 lbs. Both quarterbacks are expected to be 4-star, top-5 talent in Michigan next year and it is expected that MSU will have some serious competition for their services. Devin Gardner is rumored to already be an Ohio State lean and both Bolden and Gardner are sure to attract the attention of other powerhouse football programs.

A dual-threat quarterback could provide a healthy change of pace in the Spartan’s pro-style offense. Both QBs have shown they can deliver the deep ball with precision, so their mobility is not their only weapon. Wherever these competitors end up playing, they are sure to be successful.