As he enters year four at the helm of Michigan State football, Mel Tucker says his program is on the course that he promised. While the Spartans regressed last season on the field, Tucker believes they're right where they need to be on the recruiting trail.
Of course, that can be debated.
"Anyone that knows me knows that I have high expectations for the program," Tucker said Wednesday in Indianapolis at Big Ten media days. "It was that way when I walked in the door, for winning games and recruiting. I came in talking about competing for championships, going out and recruiting nationally and competing for the best players and signing the best players. I don’t think that anybody thought that was going to happen, and it is happening."
Tucker did bring in a solid recruiting class this year, one that ranked No. 24 in the country and No. 4 in the Big Ten, per 247 Sports, highlighted by nine four-star players -- from the likes of Oklahoma, Florida, Alabama and Oregon. It was MSU's second top-25 class in a row.
But next year's cycle doesn't look as promising. The Spartans' 2024 recruiting class is ranked No. 49 in the country, directly behind Wake Forest, Syracuse and Louisville, and No. 13 in the Big Ten, directly behind Rutgers, Illinois and Maryland. It features, so far, just three four-star players.
The cycle is far from over. Michigan State is still in the mix for a handful of high-caliber recruits, from all over the country. That includes, per 247 Sports, five-star defensive lineman David Stone (from Florida) and four-star recruits like offensive lineman DeAndre Carter (California), running back Jason Brown (Washington) and cornerback Jamari Howard (Florida). Howard had originally committed to Michigan State before reopening his recruitment in May; he's also being pursued by Florida, Florida State and Miami.
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The next several months, both on the field and on the trail, represent a critical juncture of Tucker's tenure at MSU. The Spartans are coming off a 5-7 season, which dulled the shine of their 11-2 campaign in 2021, and find themselves in maybe the toughest division in college football. A strong start will be crucial, with three of MSU's final six games coming against Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.
But a strong finish shouldn't be taken off the table. This is Michigan State's first season with a roster comprised mainly of Tucker's recruits, which he has hailed as "the lifeblood of our organization." Tucker will also unleash a strong group of transfers headlined by defensive linemen Ken Talley (Penn State), Tunmise Adeleye (Texas A&M) and Jarrett Jackson (Florida State), needed help for a team that yielded well over 400 yards a game last season. Indeed, Tucker said Wednesday that this is the best roster he's had in East Lansing.
“We have competition at every single position and no doubt the most talent we’ve had top to bottom on our roster. We needed more quality depth on our roster, and we addressed that this offseason, he said.
A strong finish on the recruiting trail looms just as large. While Michigan State capitalized on its on-field success in the 2023 cycle, its downturn last season seems to have taken a toll. Tucker and the Spartans have work to do to re-establish themselves as a destination program. It was Tucker who said shortly after he was hired, "If you can't recruit to Michigan State, you can't recruit." Whether he lives up -- or down -- to those words will go a long way toward dictating his future in East Lansing.
"I like to look at last year’s team as the team that’s going to lay the foundation for the program," said Tucker. "Oftentimes you have to get kicked in the face before you can be great. We have a chip on our shoulder. No one was happy with how the season unfolded, so we’re just hungry."
Hanging over everything is Tucker's 10-year, $95 million contract, which makes him one of the 10 highest-paid coaches in the sport. His salary is on par with that of LSU's Brian Kelly and Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher, who, not for nothing, are both positioned to bring in a top-15 recruiting class for the third straight year. Recruiting rankings aren't everything, of course. Fisher and A&M threw around wads of NIL cash to land the No. 1 class in the country in 2022 and finished last season with the same record as Tucker and Michigan State.
Player development and actual coaching counts, too. That's where Tucker can make up for whatever's ground he's lost, even temporarily, in recruiting. His predecessor may not have teed him up on his way out the door, but Mark Dantonio led Michigan State to a 65-16 record from 2010-15 with wins in the Rose Bowl and the Cotton Bowl, arguably the most successful six-year run in program history, without a single top-20 recruiting class from 2007-14. MSU's average class over that stretch fell outside the top 30.
Tucker is right to aim higher on the recruiting trail. Talent makes life easier, and Dantonio did it the hard way. Dantonio also recruited to his teams' identity as swift on defense and rugged on offense, which turned three-star recruits into four- and five-star players. Michigan State's identity under Tucker has yet to take shape. Molding one this season would help the program chart a path forward.
"There’s no one that has higher expectations than me," said Tucker.
This is the year to start meeting them.
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