Michigan State Football Left Out of Finalists for Texas Linebacker

It was not all good news for the Spartans on the recruiting trail on Sunday. As Ohio receiver Trey Haddad put the Spartans in his top five, a Texas linebacker left MSU out of his top six. For now, it appears that the roads have been closed off in Michigan State football and Max Bullough’s pursuit of Bryce Breeden from Bridge City HS.

Instead, Breeden has three other Big Ten schools in his top six, implying he might be a player on the opposite sidelines of Michigan State football soon.

What to Know on The Linebacker

Breeden is a 6-foot-1, 205 pound linebacker from Bridge City (Texas), and is currently rated no. 964 overall per the 247Sports Composite. He is the no. 85 linebacker in his class and no. 125 player in the state of Texas.

He has 31 different offers, including Arkansas, Arizona, Purdue, and Texas Christian University. The Spartans offered Breeden on February 3, with Michigan offering him five days later.

It appeared that things were going well with the Spartans, as they had a scheduled official visit with Breeden set for June 19. However, it appears that the Spartans and Breeden are headed for separate paths, with the linebacker instead choosing to visit Arkansas that weekend and leave MSU off his top six.

Who is Competing for Breeden?

The Spartans lost out on a top six consisting of TCU, Michigan, Northwestern, Arizona, Purdue, and Arkansas. Effectively, there is a 50% mathematical chance that Breeden will be a conference opponent upon signing day this winter.

No Cause for Panic

The Spartans are currently sitting amidst a logjam of linebackers, with Brady Pretzlaff being the top option among the “young guns” in the room. There is also Leonard Ah You, DeJae White, DiMari Malone, and early enrollee Adam Shaw as players with four seasons of eligibility left. Shaw and White each had a strong Spring Showcase, with White having 1 pass breakup and a TFL, as Shaw racked up two TFLs.

Additionally, the NCAA “Five Years, Five Seasons of Eligibility” ruling could give Jordan Hall one last ride in the green and white next year, if he chooses to not take his talents to the NFL.

The Spartans are looking at in-state prospect Lundon Hampton at linebacker in the 2027 class, with the Kenowa Hills (Grand Rapids) player already receiving projections to the green and white.

Follow along for more Spartan recruiting updates as they come along. My X is @E_Matasovsky57 and I will be keeping things as up-to-date as possible.