4-Star Safety Prospect Michael Dowell Commits to Michigan State

Highly rated safety recruit Michael Dowell announced his college decision Monday by committing to play at Michigan State. 

He made the announcement on Twitter:

According to Scout.com, Dowell is a 4-star prospect who ranks as the No. 31 safety overall and No. 1 player at his position from the state of Ohio.

Dowell stars at St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio. His brothers, Andrew and David Dowell, are St. Edward alumni who currently play at Michigan State.

When asked about his desire to join them at MSU in February by Scout.com's Bill Greene, Dowell offered an endorsement of the school:

"I'm definitely open to all schools, and I want to learn about all of them. With Michigan State, I really do like the program a lot. I'm going to get back up there again soon for a visit. Not just for the football stuff, but I do want to see Coach [Mark] Dantonio and the coaches.

"I definitely have them high on my list, but before I make any decision I want to investigate every option I have, and visit every school that I'm interested in. I don't have a certain time to make my choice, and that will come when I know I've found the right school."

Michigan State was one of several top programs in pursuit of Dowell, as Ohio State, Notre Dame, Iowa and Michigan were also among those that showed interest, per Scout.com.

Dowell has shown versatility in high school and an ability to play multiple positions, but he believes his skill set is well-suited for the secondary, according to Greene: "My best position is a defensive back, either safety or cornerback. I have good ball skills, and I can come down and make hits on ball-carriers."

At 6'0" and 195 pounds, Dowell could benefit from adding some muscle to become even stronger against the run, but he is already solid in that regard.

He is also quick and agile enough to excel in pass coverage and to develop into a potential ball hawk at the collegiate level.

Dowell possesses an elite skill set that schools are constantly looking for out of a safety, and he has the potential to be a defense-changing player as he continues to progress.

Since his ties to Michigan State run so deeply, Dowell's decision to play for the Spartans didn't come as much of a surprise. 

Even so, it represents a major coup for MSU as it attempts to return to the elite ranks after a disappointing 2016 campaign. 

Michigan State went just went just 3-9, but it won at least 11 games in five of the six seasons prior to that.

The foundation is in place for the Spartans to be national title contenders again in the near future, and bringing in a do-everything safety like Dowell will help immensely in that regard.