OT: Sparty lands first two 2012 verbals.
Zach Higgens: Guard out of Ohio.
Riley Bullough: Safety out of TCSF.
Normally, this is not boardworthy, especially when neither were being courted by Michigan, but you may notice that Riley is the brother of Max Bullough.
Dantonio is a genius. You certainly don't want punish a player (other than forcing him to miss the first two practices) for getting arrested for his role in a fight during spring break and eluding police when his brother is in line to be your first commit for 2012.
As fun as it was to watch MSU go so long without any commits, I really don't care that they got a couple now. It's not like they were going to go all the way to signing day without any. When they pick up guys Michigan didn't even offer, I'm not too concerned. Will be interesting to see how the rest of the class goes.
I really think Dantonio benefited from the differences between the types of players he was recruiting and those UM was recruiting under Rich Rod. There was still some overlap, but they benefited from being the "pro style" school in Michigan. We'll be going head to head for more players now and I think that's going to hurt their recruiting somewhat. Maybe not a ton, but somewhat.
Finally. We had the last spring game in the conference and one of the last in the country. Now that the kids are on campus, they're committing. I think Bullough and McGowan are solid players. The high 3 or low 4 star type of kids. Higgins is more of the MAC level type that so many are ripping on but he's a big kid and OL-men tend to come on stronger after summer camps so we'll see where he falls.
Dantonio definitely benefited from having the pro style offense in Michigan. However, he also goes to Ohio to recruit quite a bit. Some people are acting like this is the first time Michigan/MSU has gone for the same type of players. It's only been a few years since Carr left, lol. How quickly we forget...
Speaking of how quickly people forget, its unreal how quickly Spartan fans forget Michigans dominance over them when they ran a pro style offense as well.
McGowan is maybe a high 3 star. The other two are garbage recruits. Congrats on sucking at life.
April 30th, 2011 at 10:01 PM ^
This post is awesome.
Schilling and Mouton in San Diego
I don't follow sparties. Don't care. Although they seem to be quite versed in Michigan news by the posts I read. Tells you something when the little guy is ALWAYS posting, commenting, and following you.
Just thought I'd point out that Bullough is part of an MSU legacy, so I'm pretty sure Dantonio was never concerned about his committment or punishing his brother. Maybe do a little research in the future.
"Hank Bullough, a standout linebacker at MSU in the early 1950s, a former Spartans assistant coach, a former Buffalo Bills head coach and an assistant for several other NFL teams, is his paternal grandfather and executive director of the MSU Football Players Association.
Jim Morse of Muskegon, a star Notre Dame running back in the early 1950s, is his maternal grandfather.
Bullough’s father, Shane Bullough, was a star linebacker at MSU. His mother is Lee Ann (Morse) Bullough.
His lineup of uncles includes Chuck Bullough, another standout MSU linebacker and an assistant coach at UCLA; Jamie Morse, a former Notre Dame defensive back; and Bobby Morse, a running back and kick return star at Michigan State and a former NFL player."
should look into the Bullough family legacy and Michigan State. Dantonio could have have kicked Max off the team and Riley would still have committed to Michigan State.
There was nothing sinister in Dantonio's weak suspension of big bro Max, other than Dantonio continueing to be a douche about his zero tolerance stance.
April 30th, 2011 at 10:00 PM ^
Too bad, because I was thoroughly enjoying some of the panic happening over at Sparty24toLife.
It wasn't the bowl game vs. Bama that exposed MSU for being a team that benefited from a weak schedule, it was their absolute annihilation at the hands of Iowa. MSU fans should be proud of having a good season, but some of the crap they spout is absolutely hilarious. In their minds, one 11 win year with a marshmellow schedule and they should be thought of in recruits minds as a national power, one of the "big boys in the big ten" as I've seen some of them say in their 24/7 forum. Which, by the way, is a GEM to read for any UofM fan. You can feel their massive inferiority complex seep through every post.
"We're co-big ten champs! Where are the recruits!?"
"We beat them 3 years in a row, how are they scooping up all the top 4 star guys in-state!?"
Unfolding before our very eyes, the sparty fanbase is waking up a bit to the reality of their situation. That situation is :
1. Even with a 10+ win season recruits STILL don't want to go to east lansing, and they are still thought of as a B level program.
2. Beating us 3 years in a row happened more so because of our folly as a program and alot less because of their supposed "ascension" to the Mt. Olympus of college football
3. That coach D isn't much of a recruiter. They increased their pickup of in-state talent mostly because they were guys we weren't pressing hard for under the last staff. And riding a 3 game win streak against us and coming off of an 11 win season, they are still only in play for the same guys they'd have been getting if ole' Smith or WIlliams were still walking the sidelines. Take a look at the vast majority of top shelf talent still un-committed and Sparty is in play for almost none of them. Increased recruiting footprint and influx of talent my maize and blue butt.