Ohio outside linebacker chooses Michigan State

EAST LANSING - Add another player to an already loaded 2009 recruiting class for Michigan State.

Denicos Allen, an outside linebacker at Hamilton (Ohio) High, announced Tuesday his intentions to play at MSU.

The 6-foot, 205-pound Allen chose the Spartans over Wisconsin and Illinois. Nearly 20 schools offered him, including fellow Big Ten programs Northwestern, Indiana, Penn State, Purdue and Iowa.

"It was the coaching staff really," Allen said of why he chose MSU. "They care about you as a person first and then as a player."

Rivals.com rates Allen as a three-star prospect and No. 34 outside linebacker in the country.

Allen becomes the 16th member of the 2009 class. He is the third linebacker to commit, joining Chris Norman of Detroit Renaissance and TyQuan Hammock of Fort Wayne (Ind.) Bishop.

"It was definitely something I looked at," Allen said of the recruiting class. "Its an up-and-coming program and its exciting to be a part of it.

"I can't wait to get to East Lansing."

His high school coach, Jim Place, says his star linebacker will fit right in with the type of program Michigan State is building.

"He is a tough, tough, tough kid. Plus he is a high character guy. He is in the same mold as Javon Ringer in terms of character and toughness."

Place used to coach Ringer at Chaminade-Julienne in Dayton, Ohio.

Allen is not just a football standout. He also ran the third leg in the 800-meter relay on the track team and won a district championship in the 215-pound wrestling division.

Due to his participation in those sports, he will spend his entire senior year at Hamilton before arriving on campus in the summer.

Secondary coach Harlon Barnett was Allen's main recruiter but it was his relationship with Dantonio that proved to be the selling point.

"Mark and the character of the program he is running up there are the reasons (Allen chose MSU)," said Place, who is good friends with Dantonio himself. "He is a Dantonio kind of kid: tough and hard nosed."

WHEAT GONE: Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Ryan Wheat has voluntarily left the team and will not return, associate athletic director John Lewandowski confirmed Tuesday.

The former Flint Carmen-Ainsworth standout played sparingly this season and had not recorded a tackle.

INJURY UPDATE: Three Spartans who could not finish Saturday's game against Iowa because of injuries appear on the team's depth chart for this week's game at Northwestern.

Cornerback Chris L. Rucker (arm), safety Otis Wiley (leg) and receiver Mark Dell (leg) all are listed as starters. Of those three, Rucker is the still the one in question. He was listed along side Jeremy Ware as the starting corner on the depth chart.

Wiley said after Tuesday's practice that he did not pull anything during Saturday's game vs. Iowa, he only tweaked something.

He also said Kendell Davis-Clark (shoulder) participated fully in practice and expects him to be ready to play on Saturday.

Davis-Clark was listed as the No. 2 at free safety on the depth chart.

Linebacker Jon Misch is also expected back this week after missing the first six games with a foot injury.

WINSTON REPLACES RINGER: True freshman Glenn Winston will replace Javon Ringer on kickoff returns on Saturday.

Dantonio said Tuesday at his weekly press conference that the decision was based on lessoning the load on his senior running back in addition to getting the younger guys more opportunities.

ARTHUR RAY FUNDRAISER: Spartans Helping Spartans is hosting a MSU-Northwestern Friday Night Tailgate in Chicago in support to help the Arthur Ray Fund.

Ray, a Chicago native, is an offensive lineman for the Spartans who is attempting to pay his medical bills from a battle with cancer.

He is back on campus taking classes and continuously working toward a return to the football field in 2009.

Spartans Helping Spartans is a Chicago-based group of Michigan State alumni who help other Spartans from the Chicago area.

The event will be held from 8-11 p.m. at High Tops (formerly the Gin Mill) on Lincoln Ave.

The door donations of $50 includes drink package and appetizers.