Inside Michigan State's Epic Recruiting Weekend

Last Saturday’s marquee showdown between Michigan State and Oregon produced one of the most loaded recruiting showcases of the young season.

As Joe Rexrod of the Detroit Free Press noted, the Spartans had more than 200 confirmed prospects from 10 different states in attendance for their thrilling 31-28 win over the Ducks.

Included in the throng of recruits were some current Spartans commitments and top targets in the 2016 and 2017 classes. 

So what are the recruits in attendance saying about the trip and their thoughts on the Spartans moving forward? 

The early returns seem to be promising, as MSU head coach Mark Dantonio and his staff are poised to gain a huge boost on the recruiting trail after a huge win in an electric home atmosphere.

MSU QB Pledge Enjoys “Special Night” in Future Home

As one of the leaders of the Spartans' 2016 class, 3-star quarterback Messiah deWeaver found himself soaking in the environment of what will be his future home.

“It was kind of like imagining myself playing in that type of atmosphere,” deWeaver told Bleacher Report. “We went into the locker room with the guys. It was just a lot of fun. My god brother, Vayante Copeland, he’s a starting cornerback. It was really fun watching him play knowing that we were just in high school together a couple of years ago. The fans were so live and into it. It was just a special night.”

The 6’4”, 215-pounder noted that his main mission was just to hang out and enjoy the game with his friends and fellow commits. However, there was one exception, as he did zero in on one particular 4-star target he hopes will be on the other end of his passes in East Lansing.

“Donnie Corley, but I talk to Donnie all the time anyways,” deWeaver said. “He took his official up there, so he was having a good time. I’m just glad he was there and that we got the win.” 

deWeaver, who also plans to be an early enrollee, said he is 100 percent firm to the Spartans and hopes to return for his official visit later in the year. In the meantime, he is focused on his senior season at Wayne (Ohio) High School and helping the Spartans finish with a top-10 recruiting class.

“We are like brothers,” deWeaver noted of the Spartans current commits. “Everyone who is committed, we all stay in touch and we have a group message we keep up with. Overall, our goal is to bring a national championship to Michigan State. But we know what we have to do when we get there. We have to work. Nothing will be given to us. Nobody cares about how we are ranked or anything like that. When we get there, we’re going to have to work harder than everyone else.”

2017 in-State ATH Hoping for Spartans Offer

Saturday was quite a day for 2017 3-star athlete Allen Stritzinger.

He was one of a handful of recruits who attended the Michigan vs. Oregon State game early in the day before making the short trek from Ann Arbor to East Lansing for the showdown between the Spartans and the Ducks.

The 6’0”, 180-pound junior, who counts Michigan as one of his early offers, projects as one of the top in-state products in the 2017 cycle.

He was certainly impressed by the scene inside Spartan Stadium on Saturday night.

“It was electrifying, really, being a part of that whole atmosphere with College Gameday being there,” Stritzinger said. “The fans for both teams were out there and you could feel the energy in the stadium. It was a great experience. I got a chance to speak with some of the coaches before the game when I was on the field. I had a really good time. It was the experience of a lifetime, really.”

While he hasn’t earned an offer from the Spartans, his interactions with the coaching staff leads him to believe that situation could be rectified in short order. 

The holdup has to do with identifying where he would line up at the next level.

“Michigan State has not offered me yet, but, it should be coming soon,” Stritzinger explained. “[The coaches] said that it is close and they want to see a little more game film. I primarily play running back, but they want to see more film for me at corner. I just started playing corner late last year. This year, I’m starting both ways.”

Stritzinger himself is still up in the air on whether he prefers playing running back or corner. 

“I really haven’t [decided],” Stritzinger said of his position preference. “I’d say running back is my primary position because I’ve been playing it my whole life. With corner, the more that I play it, the more I’m developing that love for it.”

He admits watching Spartans star freshman rusher LJ Scott was one of the highlights of his visit. 

“[Scott] was running hard, man,” he said. “He was hitting the holes and making things happen. It was good watching him run like that.”

Aside from the in-state powers, among the schools that have been in contact with him recently are Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State. He attended the Irish’s season-opening win over Texas earlier this month and has plans on visiting Indiana, Penn State and a return trip to South Bend later this fall.

Stritzinger noted he has tentative plans on majoring in the business field in college. As for a decision, he would like to make his commitment just prior to his senior season.

2017 Georgia QB Enjoys First Trip to Big Ten Country

While the Spartans have a touted passer in deWeaver already in the fold for 2016, quarterback coach Brad Salem already has his eye on a few rising juniors who could fit into the program’s plans in the future.

Included in that group is Grayson (Georgia) High School 4-star standout Chase Brice, who is one of just six quarterbacks in the 2017 cycle to hold an offer from the Spartans.

The 6’3”, 205-pounder was among a small group of elite recruits from the Peach State who made the long trek north for the monster matchup of top-10 programs.

“It was really neat,” Brice said. “It was my first time in Michigan. I didn’t really know what to expect going into the game and what it would look like and feel like. It was just really electric. When [the Spartans] were coming out, they were all hype. Oregon was hype, of course. But Michigan State just had like a swagger to themselves, and it really showed on the field.”

While his main interactions have been with Salem and co-offensive coordinator Dave Warner, Brice was pleasantly surprised in speaking with Dantonio on the field before pregame warm-ups. Just minutes before the Spartans' big game, Dantonio offered Brice kudos on leading his team to a huge win over nationally ranked Archer High School on Friday.

“We were just talking about how the game would play out and he wished me good luck with our season,” Brice said. “He heard about the big game against Archer when we came from behind to win and he just congratulated me for that.”

"

Chase Brice has made two stellar throws on this potential game-winning drive. Grayson to kick a FG.

— Chuck Kingsbury (@Kingsbury_AJC) September 12, 2015"

Ironically, Brice took the trip with two standouts he competed against the night before in Archer 2016 4-star offensive lineman E.J. Price and 2017 4-star athlete Jamyest Williams. While the three recruits exchanged some good-natured ribbing about their hard-fought battle the night before, Brice said the Georgia contingent enjoyed their experience in Big Ten country. 

“E.J. was actually on his official, so I got to talk with him a little bit,” Brice said. “Me and Jamyest hung out and talked about it. We both loved it. The atmosphere was awesome. I know he loved it because he was pretty into it. We kind of joked about our game and what could’ve and should’ve happened and stuff like that.”

If his schedule allows, Brice hopes to return for another Spartans game in the fall. He mentioned Clemson, Kentucky and Miami as programs he hopes to also visit later this season.

While he’s not close to making a decision, he admits he likes his potential fit in the Spartans offense. 

“It felt good because it is a perfect offense to be in if you are a quarterback,” Brice said. “Pro style, play action, they are in the gun. They check off. Connor Cook does all the right things. It’s an offense that you want to be in. The coaching staff was great. It was just a good experience to get up there and go up north, because I’ve never been.”

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow @SanjayKirpalani