Pledge Week: Defensive Line

MSU took one defensive line recruit in this class. Our defensive line was what made our defense so damned good last year and we needs us some good defensive line. I will say despite how short we are of total recruits we're completely making up for it with the "motion of the ocean".

David Fennell

MSU Spartans

David Fennell committed to Michigan State on January 23rd over offers from no one else. He played his senior year in Portland, Oregon. He is Canadian so I cannot wait to see how evil he gets as a Defensive Tackle once he learns to be an impolite jerk like the rest of us Americans. Fennell was ranked a three star prospect by 247 Sports and two-stars by Rivals and Scout. At 1.905 Meters and and 124.73 kilos he's got the frame to grow, but the size to play already.

His father was "Dr. Death" of CFL fame, not of Kevorkian fame. The elder Fennell won the award of Most Outstanding Canadian in 1979*. So what does our new David Fennell know about playing football? To the Youtubes! 

*Most Outstanding Canadian of the CFL

How Many People Will Fennell Eat in the Big Ten?

Lots. He'll eat lots. I know this is high school ball, but I love his burst off the snap. Worthy-like burst against High School kids. He also does a nice job driving his blocker back and then getting of his blocks to take off after the ball carrier. Areas for improvement? Doesn't look like the surest tackler yet, but I'm really reaching.

2012 Prognostication and Beyond: I think Fennell redshirts in 2012. There's a logjam at the three technique that needs the cable fixed and I don't think it gets sorted out until after this year. Fennell sees rotational duty beginning in 2013.

2013 Needs: 2 DE and 2 DT minimum.

Bonus: As many of you may already know, Monty Madaris has yet to fax in his letter of intent. There are theories ranging from that he's not sure he wants to move the six hours to MSU all the way to Urbz is hiding in the bushes outside his house with a kilo of coke and a gaggle of hookers ready to tattoo him in his new 370z. For my own part, I don't much care what the hold up is, Madaris needs to make the right choice for him. This is all no longer true, but the below is about the next recruiting blow-up.


I'd encourage you in this era of internet transparency to avoid getting worked up about what the kid is or isn't doing. A friend of mine says that people pick their noses more when they're in the car because they think they're alone despite the fact everyone can see you. This is true of the internet as well, if you dog on a kid when you think he can't see you, he can. It only depends on whether he's looking on that message board at the time. Let him be, if he doesn't want to come here that's his choice.

Less Preachy Bonus Links:

Vannini recaps Signing Day in about seven fewer posts.

Official Signing Day Recap

Orson Swindle's Fourth Part on Signing Day: Starring Bret Bielema

Weekly Wednesday Wrecruiting Wrap

Commitments, We Has Them.

- Safety Mark Meyers decommitted from Toledo over the weekend and committed to MSU! Should you be excited about a kid who decommitted from Toledo to play at Michigan State? Eh, not as excited as you should be if Ed Reed or Troy Polamalu signed up to play ball at MSU, but his film is respectable.

The kid looks like he has a lot of experience playing centerfield in a zone defense. How convenient for a team like ours that tends to run exactly that kind of pass coverage.(Narduzzi used to say our base defense was quarters, but it's been less distinctly so since Wheel-Route-A-Palooza in 2009.)

His offer sheet is less than spectacular, his next best offer being Toledo. Since Toledo's HC left to go die at Illinois, Illinois showed interest but had not yet offered. Same for Nebraska. Based off of the video above he seems to have good ball-hawking skills(plus), good speed(plus) and plays in read and react defense(huge plus). Some areas he'll plainly need to work on before seeing the field at MSU are, his read and react doesn't seem to be THAT good. His 40 is plainly not the advertised 4.46. He's a solid late-season pickup at a position of need.

- Defensive Tackle David Fennell of Portland, Oregon will be joining MSU next fall as our first Oregonian recruit that I can recall. His father, Dave "Dr. Death" Fennell is in the CFL Hall of Fame. Should you be excited about a kid who literally has no other offers? In this case, yes. Usually, no. Here's why.

The kid pretty much lives in Beast Mode. Get up in the morning. Beast Mode. Have a glass of milk. Beast Mode. Knock over other High School kids. Beast Mode.  Based off the video above, he seems to get good push, slips blocks well, can move his guy around as needed. What could he improve? He seems to overpursue a bit. That's really all I got on him. This will be another in the tradition of Keshawn Martin, Le'Veon Bell, Darqueze Dennard type players.

Scholarship Count

MSU has one, MAYBE, two scholarships left. More on this in a skosh.


Official Visits For This Upcoming Weekend

Marcus Horne - RB(Uncommitted) - Horne is a kid that MSU is probably looking to take with a greyshirt. A greyshirt is when a kid pays one or more years of their college while they wait for a scholarship. Think of it like walking-on, except you're really a preferred walk-on, except you're more preferred than a preferred walk-on.

Kid has very good speed although not elite. Size-wise he's about the same size as Tompkins, our 2012 RB. Honestly, I think he gets a full-ride offer if we didn't already have another back with this one-cut skill set.

Terrell Jackson - DT(Uncommitted, Formerly Committed to Duke) & Jaleel Johnson - DT(Committed to Iowa, loosely) - It's difficult to talk about Jackson without talking about Johnson. Expect the recruitment to play out roughly like this.

Johnson is the preferred candidate between Johnson and Jackson. Johnson took his official to Iowa this past weekend and had a great time, but will still take his official to MSU. Jackson as of right now does not have an MSU offer. Jackson received an offer from Iowa late yesterday.

So, in summary. MSU will get Jackson or Johnson. Iowa will get Johnson or Jackson. Jaleel Johnson is deciding where he and Terrell Jackson will be going to college. Johnson will go to either MSU or Iowa and Jackson will go to the other.

Jackson Footage

All I could find was a video of a different Terrell Jackson. This one was 5'11" and 170.

Jaleel Johnson Footage

Either will do. I'd prefer Johnson because he is already more built at almost 280 where Jackson is smaller. Also, Iowa fans hate MSU football. They hated us before we beat them at Iowa in 2011 despite Ferentz's 3-1 record against them at the time, they hated us for stealing David Barrent even though they stole Cedric Everson from us on Signing Day, they hated us having Keshawn Martin pass on them down three scores at home even though Marvin McNutt did the same thing to us last year.

So if they're going to hate us let's have it be because we flat out stole one of their commitments, eh?

JaMichael Winston, DE(Committed to Arkansas) - I don't know why the hell this kid is listed as committed, he's taking more official visits than many uncommitted kids. Frankly, he's smitten with Clemson and not coming here. Here's some video anyway so you can covet what you can't have.

The kid is lightning quick, but he looks pretty damn pedestrian at shedding blocks. When he actually gets blocked, which is rare.

Other Notes

- Monty Madaris will decide between MSU and Cincy. I'm thinking Cincy honestly. More on this after his decision.

- Kyle Dodson took his official this past weekend and was the subject of some Izzone chanting when they weren't picking on Robbie Hummel. A funny story on this after Signing Day.

- JP Holtz decides tonight between MSU and Pitt on Pittsburgh TV. As Mike from The Little Brother Blog said, you don't decide on local TV to pick the out of state school.

Best Guess to Round Out The Class

- Jaleel Johnson DT, Monty Madaris WR

Meta Note: Starting effective immediately, Leonidas from What Is Your Profession will be taking over as recruiting guru for A Beautiful Day For Football. Recruiting is one of his passions and strengths as an MSU blogger and we're damn glad to have him. More elaborate intro when his first post goes up.