Josh Langford to Michigan State: Spartans Land 5-Star Guard Prospect

One of the biggest dominoes of the 2016 class fell Monday, as 5-star prep guard Josh Langford announced his commitment to Michigan State, spurning offers from nearly every other major university in the process.

Langford first informed ESPN's Reggie Rankin of his decision, which his father confirmed in a conversation with Evan Daniels of Scout.com.

Langford, a 6'6" combo guard out of Madison Academy in Madison, Alabama, is the nation's 13th-ranked player, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He wowed earlier this summer at the Adidas Eurocamp, emerging as an explosive scorer who uses his athleticism to grab rebounds over bigger players.

Langford's athleticism is what helps make him such a multi-tooled player, as Josh Gershon of Rivals noted:

The entire state of Alabama watched most of his recruitment with bated breath, hoping he would stay in state. Auburn's hiring of Bruce Pearl gave legitimacy to the program that it hasn't experienced in years, and Alabama head coach Avery Johnson brings an NBA pedigree that's attractive to recruits with designs on the lottery. 

In the end, the lure of a true national power proved too much. 247Sports' Crystal Ball predictions gave Kentucky a sizable advantage for most of the process, with Michigan and Duke also drawing a decent amount of interest. Neither Alabama nor Auburn drew a prediction. Michigan State only recently emerged as a favorite, drawing a series of predictions over the last week.

"I don't have a top five or top three—everybody has a chance at this moment," Langford told AL.com's Wesley Sinor in February. "I'm still weighing my options."

Michigan State will be getting an aggressive guard who is skilled at using his athleticism to finish near the rim. Langford averaged 24.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game last season, per Steve Jones of the Courier-Journal, upping his numbers in nearly every major category from a breakout sophomore campaign. He still doesn't have a consistent jumper but manages to make plays with his overpowering physical gifts and heady passing.

Given that we're still months away from his arrival in East Lansing, the jumper issue isn't much to quibble with. Langford projects as a strong two-way player who can help the Spartans defend on the wing and create good shots with his driving ability. 

In a nutshell: Add another trophy to the mantle in Tom Izzo's recruiting profile. Odds are it won't be the last in 2016.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.