Messiah deWeaver Announces Top 5: Which School Is Best Fit for Star QB?

Messiah deWeaver is taking a week off the suspense.

After originally setting a commitment date of April 29, the 3-star quarterback has decided to move up his announcement to April 22—which means fans have eight days (T-minus) to give their last-minute speeches on social media in an effort to sway him to attend their favorite school.

Per Mike Griffith of MLive.com, deWeaver has a top five of Michigan State, Mississippi State, Penn State, Kentucky and Louisville. The Dayton, Ohio, prospect, ranked No. 12 in the 247Sports' Composite among pro-style quarterbacks nationally, has Michigan State trending in his 247Sports Crystal Ball.

deWeaver is looking to end the process after once being committed to Michigan. He chose the Wolverines in June but reopened the process in January with the firing of Brady Hoke and the hiring of Jim Harbaugh.

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pic.twitter.com/p69aamAJPw

— Messiah deWeaver (@Siah_10) January 28, 2015"

Listed at 6'3", 202 pounds, deWeaver fits the mold of a Michigan State quarterback. The Spartans are looking for a game manager who can not only make the big pass, but also sell the run. Michigan State finished the 2014 season with 3,453 passing yards but also had 3,057 rushing yards, making it a true dual-headed monster in Big Ten play.

deWeaver is one of those players who can be a similar quarterback, game management-wise, as Connor Cook. Per the Greater Western Ohio Conference website, he led Trotwood-Madison High School to average 182.4 rushing yards and 121.9 passing yards per game, ultimately equating to nearly 38 points a contest.

deWeaver has a dozen offers, and all five of his favorites would be considered solid fits, but Michigan State would make sense in this case. The Spartans currently have only two commitments in their 2016 class, and they are in need of a quarterback to lead the class offensively. Additionally, he's made multiple trips to East Lansing, Michigan, since December, according to his 247Sports timeline.

deWeaver has built a relationship with recruiting coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brad Salem, as well as with head coach Mark Dantonio and assistant head coach Harlon Barnett.

Playing in the Big Ten could be in deWeaver's immediate future, but he also could end up playing in the SEC. Kentucky is a legitimate contender in the recruiting race, as he's built relationships with quarterbacks coach Shannon Watson, head coach Mark Stoops, cornerbacks coach Derrick Ansley and recruiting coordinator/tight ends coach Vince Marrow.

deWeaver has made multiple trips to Lexington, Kentucky, and the Wildcats were one of the first to offer him. To add, Kentucky has a proximity advantage over Michigan State. While East Lansing is roughly four hours away from Dayton, Lexington is right around two hours away from deWeaver's home.

Don't expect proximity to be a major X-factor for deWeaver. Look for intangibles like potential playing time, campus environment feel and comfort with the coaching staff and players to win the quarterback over.

One thing that may also be considered is deWeaver's relationship with one of the Michigan State basketball players. deWeaver moved from Trotwood-Madison and now attends Wayne High School, the same high school that Travis Trice Jr. attended. deWeaver and Trice's younger brother, D'Mitrik Price, is a senior two-sport athlete at Wayne, who not only played quarterback, but also could be as talented on the basketball court as his brother.

"He was on my AAU basketball team," deWeaver told Griffith regarding D'Mitrik Price. "I played [basketball] until eighth grade, and then I started to focus on football."

You can bet deWeaver's received nothing but good testimonials about Michigan State. On April 22, the world will find out if he's going to "Go Green" or choose a different avenue for his college plans.

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles