Spartans' 2010 football class full of 'home runs'

EAST LANSING - Don't expect any big surprises for Michigan State today when high school football players from across the nation sign their letters of intent.

Instead, MSU's 2010 recruiting class points to one of the things coach Mark Dantonio has emphasized during his three years in East Lansing.

"Consistency is the biggest thing I notice," said Jeremy Crabtree, national recruiting editor for Rivals.com. "They continue to recruit well - and not just in Michigan. They continue to move forward and show they are a force."

The class currently stands at 21 prospects, 10 of them in-state including five-star defensive end William Gholston from Detroit Southeastern High. At 6-foot-7, 237 pounds, Gholston had scholarship offers from schools all over the country, including USC, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida and Florida State. He's listed as the top prospect in the state according to rivals.com.

Joining Gholston is four-star linebacker Max Bullough from St. Francis Catholic in Traverse City, who is listed as the fifth-best prospect in Michigan.

"I think they have some pretty good marquee players in-state," Scout.com analyst Tom Lemming said. "(MSU has) a very good, competent recruiting staff that does a very good job, especially locally where they seem to beat Michigan to the punch."

Lemming has MSU ranked 25th in the country, fifth in the Big Ten just behind Iowa. Rivals.com currently ranks MSU No. 28 in the country and fourth in the Big Ten behind Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State, according to Crabtree.

MSU made several late scholarship offers and received a verbal commitment from Detroit Catholic Central fullback Niko Palazeti on Monday. Palazeti rushed for over 1,400 yards this season and just recently began to draw interest from the Spartans' staff.

Another recent addition is Battle Creek Central defensive tackle Anthony White, who verbally committed to the Spartans in late January. The 6-3, 300-pound White played at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas this fall and will have three years of eligibility at MSU.

"You look at a group that's very balanced across the board," Crabtree said. "Just to get those types of guys to round out the class, I think there's a lot more things you look forward to positively."

While the Spartans continued to hammer the home state, they also continued strong recruiting in Ohio. MSU has six prospects from the Buckeye state, including a trio of offensive lineman in Skyler Schofner, Travis Jackson and Michael Dennis.

"To me, the guy that jumps out is Skyler Schofner. That kid is an absolute steal," Crabtree said of the 6-7, 276-pounder.

"He's athletic, he moves around really well. He just has all the prototypical things you need from an offensive tackle."

Jackson is a 6-4, 265-pound offensive guard from Columbus, while Dennis is a 6-7, 260-pound offensive tackle from Carey, Ohio.

Crabtree said about the only thing this class lacks is a true wide receiver, but he added, "That's nitpick."

"They've recruited a bunch of guys that we look at as athletes," Crabtree said. "Overall, I see more home runs than swings and misses with this class."