Pledge Week: Running Backs

The Dantonio offense relies upon a powerful running game. Running the ball is used to chew up clock, rest the defense and set up playaction. This year MSU took two running backs to help bolster it's ability in these areas.

Nick Tompkins

Nick Tompkins committed to Michigan State on 6/26/2011 during the U2 concert. Not that I attended or anything. While I'm on the hypothetical subject, the east side upper deck of Spartan Stadium is kind of like 1980's Poland. If you are going to charge seat fees, feel free to raise some moneys to bring the east side of the stadium into the roaring 90s. Anyway, Tompkins was rated a three star prospect by Rivals, Scout and 247 Sports. He was ranked nationally by Scout as the #70 running back and by 247 as the 54th best RB. He was ranked as Rivals' number 11 all-purpose back, rivals has a separate rank for running backs.

His offer sheet is pretty stellar. At the time of his commitment he had offers from Wisconsin, California, Boston College, Georgia Tech and a host of other schools. By conference is a little more impressive, he had offers from five Big Ten schools, six ACC schools, two Big East schools, a Pac-12 school and three SEC schools. So this is a very solid pickup. Very solid.

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A Predictor Of Future Success Is YouTube

 

In this video, there are basically only things to love. Tompkins "one-cut" move is devastating. When he cuts upfield, that's it in both of these videos. He has the speed to outrun anyone on his high school field. He doesn't dance around a whole lot in the backfield, but it looks like he could if he needs to. The only thing I didn't see was a lot of him catching the ball, but that's not really a knock so much as an observation. This is a stellar pick-up and we will all be very excited about him when it's time for him to see the field.

Prognostication for 2012 and Beyond: If two of our three running backs go down in 2012 Tompkins might see the field. So again. Disaster only. He has a chance to crack the two-deep as early as 2013 when the battle to replace Larry Caper will take place between him and Nick Hill. Both are speed backs to compliment Bell's thunder. He will see the field in 2014 at the latest.

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Marcus Horne

Marcus Horne committed to MSU on 1/29/2012. He was a two-star prospect according to rivals and had an offer Redeemable At Any MAC School. He has accepted his commitment as a greyshirt. A greyshirt means that they have been offered a scholarship in the future, but that you will pay some portion of your college on your own.

A good basketball analog recruiting-wise is Austin Thornton. He wants to be a part of a Big Ten team, but would not get a Big Ten offer for a full ride. Anyway, football-wise these are the kind of kids you need to lean on, one or two of these walk-on/greyshirt guys make valuable contributions to their team each year.

Horne looks like Tompkins minus the "one-cut devastation". I really like his vision and I think if he can put on 20 lbs without losing a lot of speed he could be a thunder back to Tompkins lightning. As one would expect of a greyshirt prospect, he's a bit of a project. The weight gain I think would be necessary for him to see significant playing time.

Prognostication for 2012 and Beyond: Will not play in 2012. Could see the field in the 2014-2015 area. Will depend on how he does in the weight room.

2013 Needs: 1 Thunder and maybe 1 Lightning back. The lightning back is a nice to have, the Thunder back is a necessity, after Bell, the next potential candidate at Thunder back is Horne, but as previously stated, he is a bit of a project.

The Week in Review for Jan 12, 2012

So last week after the Outback/Arnett/Worthy/Narduzzi/Baker drama, I had wished for some quiet time in MSU sports. That is exactly what happened, and now begins the long hard winter of recruiting and that's pretty much it until Spring Ball. Basketball coverage to be spotty, as I've said many times before, The Only Colors does a much better job. The Week in Review will be a staple during the football lean times until we begin quenching our thirst for football roundabout August.

Johnny Adams

Johnny Adams tweeted to some very happy Spartan fans, "Back in East Lansing for my senior year!!!!!". You can tell he's excited about this because there are five exclamation points at the end. He also wears the number 5. He only had 3 picks this year, maybe next year he gets...5?

Johnny Adams might have saved himself from another five by staying. This five is the fifth round, which is about as high as I could see him being taken at this point. Best of luck to him in the upcoming year, I forsee him bolstering his draft position with a healthy 2012.

Fran Is Real Mad About Something, Maybe Being Named Fran?

Image courtesy of Sports From a Spartan

Fran McCaffery got SUHper pissed and threw a chair in Iowa's loss at Michigan State on Tuesday night. Iowa's 95-61 demolition felt like a throwback to the early 2000's. Indeed, the last time MSU recorded fifteen straight wins was the 2000-2001 season. This was I'm sure in part aided, by Tom's mild rebuke of the Izzone after the old folks showed them how it's done over the holidays.

This rebuke came after a bit of a row about how the Izzone is too involved with their phone during the games and not involved enough with the game. So Hollis celebrated this rebuke, by texting during the game on Tuesday night. Also, why rebuke them prior to the Iowa game. Shouldn't that have been saved for a good opponent?

Speaking of Hollis, You Should Know

Are you a wealthy alumni who has money to spend on going to interestingly located sporting events? No? Are you wealthy? No? Hm. Do you love Michigan State and know someone who is wealthy? Maybe? Ok, then we're finally getting somewhere. There have been more solid rumors recently of a MSU vs. (THAT) USC Basketball game in Greece and a hockey game on an aircraft carrier.

I love what Mark Hollis is doing right now. Make no mistake about it, the recent increased success of MSU Women's Hoops and Football is due in part to Hollis' incredible effort to market and be a champion of Michigan State sports. All while being the lowest paid athletic director of public record in the Big Ten.The man has done and will continue to do great things for Michigan State Athletics. Do you sense a but coming? You should.

I can't say I agree with all of these gimmick games though. Don't get me wrong, they're amazing, increase visibility for the school, attract potential recruits, etc. The athletic department turns a profit, so I shouldn't complain. However, for my own part, don't oversqueeze your fans, students and alumni to support these once-in-a-lifetime events that could start to happen every year. Have these events often enough that they are a part of the MSU brand, but not so often they aren't a once-in-a-lifetime event anymore.

MSU Hockey

At Munn Arena an amazing thing has happened. Michigan State's very own version of Rich Rodriguez has been exorcised in Rick Comley and replaced by Tom Anastos. For a brief backstory, when Anastos was hired the non-MSU blogger consensus was that Hollis had given up on hockey and that if you wanted to talk hockey, you best go find Ron Mason at the Blue Gill Grill on a Saturday night.

All he's done since coming to MSU is knock off three teams in the top 20 and field an 11-9-2 squad. MSU is coming off a three game skid and looks to get their swerve back against #20 Northern this weekend. I've not yet made it out to a hockey game yet this year, but I think it's going to be a must before the season is out. He has the Spartans ranked 18th and is positioning hockey to improve itself the same way Football has under Dantonio.

Other MSU Bullets

• Nick Hill wants you to know he's a Spartan for life. Photo courtesy of Chris Vannini's Green Thoughts. I'm pretty sure that sets the record for most manly tattoo on the Spartan football team ever.
• MSU Wrestling takes on West Virginia and Indiana this weekend in the hopes of getting back above .500
• Women's hoops plays on Sunday afternoon and looks to continue their undefeated big ten season. After their 67-47 win tonight, they are 4-0 in the early Big Ten Season and could improve to 5-0 with a win against Ohio State on Sunday.