Michigan State basketball: Could Jeremiah Fears be an option?

Jeremiah Fears decommitted from Illinois on Monday but is he a realistic option for Michigan State basketball?

When Jeremiah Fears committed to Illinois, Michigan State basketball fans were a little confused and frustrated.

The younger brother of star point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. who the staff had been recruiting for some time decided he would be taking his talents to Champaign in the 2025 class. He committed to Illinois over Michigan State which was slightly surprising, but it was closer to home and he wanted to be able to forge his own path. Sometimes siblings and kids of former players (Kaden Strayhorn) opt to go that route. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it’s usually a bit of a surprise.

Jeremiah, the No. 6 combo guard in the 2025 class, did what Illinois fans wished his older brother had done: he committed to the Illini.

Well, on Monday, amidst rumors of a decommitment and reclassification, Fears announced that he would be reopening his recruitment after talking to his family and he’d be exploring other options.

5⭐️ Jeremiah Fears has decommitted from Illinois and will reopen his recruitment 🚨👀

He’s ranked #15 in 2025 per ESPN. Where do you want to see him hoop in college ⁉️@jeremiahfears2 @slam_university pic.twitter.com/9czKK6Yd5M

— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) July 1, 2024

Other options is a vague statement but many believe that means reclassification to the 2024 class. If that’s the case, I don’t think Michigan State has any chance with him. The roster is full (which seems rare under Tom Izzo nowadays) so there’d be no room for him.

If Jeremiah does stay in the 2025 class with this decommitment, there’s a good chance the Spartans will be in on him. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem like the most likely scenario as all the talk is about him moving up to 2024. He would be a great addition to the Michigan State basketball roster, but unless someone shockingly transfers out, there’s no room.

Also, Kentucky has a Zoom meeting with him this week and the Wildcats offered him shortly after he decommitted.

It would be great to land Jeremiah to join Jeremy in 2025, but a reclassification would kill Michigan State’s chances here.