Detroit Cass Tech wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones
Over the past five years, no school in the Midwest has produced more Division I talent than Detroit Cass Tech. This year is no different as the Technicians once again have multiple elite prospects and Michigan State is actively involved with them.
WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
Peoples-Jones is the No. 1 player in Michigan for the class of 2017 and the No. 13 prospect in the nation overall according to Rivals.com. Peoples-Jones has offers from pretty much every major BCS program in the nation and has indicated that he is in no hurry to make his college choice. The Spartans are hoping that a favorable depth chart and being close to home are factors that will have him take a serious look at the defending Big Ten champs.
OL Jordan Reid
Reid is a three-star recruit, but that will almost certainly change in the next rankings update. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound prospect has been dominant on the spring camp and combine scene. MSU has been high on Reid for quite some time and offered him a scholarship early on in the process. The Spartans like the fact that Reid has shown well against elite completion and that he is used to competing at the highest level.
DB Jaylen Kelly-Powell
The 6-0, 180-pound Kelly-Powell is a three-star recruit and the No. 24 safety in the nation for the class of 2017. Kelly-Powell’s offer list is indicative of a player with a higher rating: MSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame and a host of other schools have offered. The MSU staff would like to see Kelly-Powell join his former teammate Demetric Vance in the secondary.
CB Donovan Johnson
The 5-10, 170-pound Johnson is a four-star recruit and the No. 179 prospect in the nation. He has a long list of scholarship offers and his next offer could come from MSU, whose staff has been in frequent contact and is looking forward to watching Johnson perform at the Sound Mind Sound Body camp. Johnson is known for his tremendous speed and has been showcasing his skills this spring. Johnson has indicated that right now he favors Penn State, Virginia Tech and West Virginia, all of which have offered him a scholarship.
LB/DE Zach Morton
Morton is not getting the hype of some of his teammates, but college coaches are keeping close tabs on the 6-4, 225-pound prospect. What makes Morton an intriguing prospect is that he could play multiple positions at the next level. Many are waiting to see how well he performs at camps this summer. If he shows exceptional skills coming off the edge rushing the quarterback, the offers could come rolling in.
With so teams across the country making Cass Tech a recruiting priority, it is unlikely to think MSU is going to land the lion’s share of recruits from there. However, it would be a surprise if the Spartans did not add at least one of the above Technicians. Mark Dantonio and his staff have made recruiting Cass Tech a priority and you can be sure they will be visiting the powerhouse program at every available opportunity.
Matt Dorsey is a recruiting analyst for SpartanMag.com and Rivals.com.