Michigan State Football: Official visitors list for Dec. 15 weekend

The first weekend of Michigan State football official visits was a big success for Jonathan Smith. What is in store for weekend No. 2?

Well with this past week almost over, Michigan State football is turning its focus to weekend two of visits. Last weekend saw an impressive 12 visitors come to campus and it is already showing promise as we have picked up several commits this week. Four of this past weekend’s visitors have committed this week and another has set his decision date for next week while de-committing from his previous school.

The four commits Michigan State football picked up this week post visits last weekend are as follows:

• Wyatt Hook: 3-star tight end from Cupertino, Calif (former Oregon State commit)
• Makhi Frazier: 3-star running back from McKinney, Texas (former Oregon State commit)
• Brandon Tullis: 3-star running back from Frisco, Texas (former Oregon State commit)
• Aidan Chiles: Former 4-star QB from Downey, Calif. (transfer from Oregon State – has three years of eligibility remaining and No. 1 transfer QB per 247Sports)

This weekend is shaping up to have even more visitors and we are on full-blown commitment/flip watch with some of these prospects. With National Signing Day five days away from when I’m writing this, we are coming up on crunch time. Kudos to Jonathan Smith and his staff for getting over 25 prospects to come to check out East Lansing and either keep their commitments to us or start to consider us.

What an effort down the stretch to hope to salvage our recruiting class for this year.

Who is coming to campus this weekend you ask? Well, let’s break down the guys.

• Rustin Young: 4-star OL, Honolulu, Hawaii (former Oregon State commit)

Rustin Young is a 247Sports composite three-star offensive tackle and before Smith left Oregon State, he was the Beavers top-ranked player in their 2024 class. Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 275 pounds, Rustin has the size to be able to make a difference on the line. He and Jim Michalczik have a great relationship and Young said right after the coaching change that he would be excited to come check out East Lansing. Hopefully the staff can get a commitment from him after checking out campus.

• Alessio Milivojevic: 3-star QB, Wheaton, Ill. (Ball State commit)

Alessio Milivojevic, or “A-Mili” as we know him here at Spartan Shadows, is a three-star quarterback who is currently committed to Ball State. Milivojevic was under-recruited so far this year in my opinion. The quarterback prospect has great size for the position and boasts a strong arm as well as quick legs when scrambling. He has shown impressive touch on throws and really smart instincts getting out of the pocket on his high school tape. With a former quarterback as our new head coach, a prospect like Milivojevic could really blossom at MSU.

• Daniel Kaelin: 3-star QB, Bellevue, Neb. (Nebraska commit)

Daniel Kaelin, unfortunately, seems to be the odd man out at Nebraska with the news that five-star and No. 1 quarterback prospect Dylan Raiola appears to be flipping from Georgia to the Cornhuskers. Kaelin has been committed to the Huskers since June but may be looking elsewhere after Raiola’s news broke. The three-star quarterback had offers from 14 other schools before committing to Nebraska. He is a smart decision-maker and he’s accurate with the ball. He shows the capability to make tight throws in the short to intermediate range and has a real refined feel to his game. With new commit Aidan Chiles being the only scholarship quarterback on the Michigan State football roster, adding Kaelin or Milivojevic (or both) would be huge for Smith to get some depth in the position.

• Jaylen Thompson: 3-star DB, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (MSU commit)

The first MSU commit coming to campus this weekend is three-star defensive back Jaylen Thompson who has been locked in with the Spartans since early June of this year and has remained committed through the coaching change. Now having a chance to come back to campus and see how the new staff operates will be good for him. He and his cornerback tandem partner Keshawn Williams will both be on campus this weekend. It’s no secret that our secondary has struggled over the Mel Tucker era. Having Thompson sign and get to campus would help in stabilize some of that position group.

• Keshawn Williams: 3-star DB, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (MSU commit)

As previously mentioned, Williams will be coming to campus with his high school teammate, Jaylen Thompson. Williams has been committed to the green and white since October and would be a nice fit on MSU’s roster. The dual-position athlete primarily played corner and wide receiver in high school. He has great intangibles and has speed to burn. Williams ran an 11.7 100-meter dash in track in high school and that speed has translated well on the football field. Hopefully landing a playmaker like him can help with both sides of the ball.

• Andrew Brinson: 3-star WR, Tampa, Fla. (former Oregon State commit)

Speaking of speed and dual-position athletes, let’s meet Andrew Brinson. This is a name that has come up quite frequently among Michigan State football fans and experts since Smith was hired. The former Oregon State commit was one of the first to de-commit following Smith’s hiring and has been excited to come check out East Lansing. Brinson hails from Tampa, Fla., and played both wide receiver and cornerback in high school. And 247Sports has him listed as a three-star athlete but will probably play receiver. In high school, he also ran track and possesses good speed. Brinson stands 6-foot-0 and weighs 175 pounds. Look for a good impression to be made on him this weekend to potentially lock him down as soon as possible.

• Kekai Burnett: 3-star Edge, Honolulu, Hawaii (former Oregon State commit)

Kekai Burnett is a newly trending name for some Michigan State fans but that should not discourage folks from him. The 6-foot-2 edge rusher from Honolulu has some terrific pass-rushing traits and is being targeted heavily by new defensive line coach Legi Suiaunoa. Kekai was formerly committed to Oregon State and has a great relationship with several of our new coaching staff. BYU has been pushing hard for him since his de-commitment but you have to feel like MSU would have the leg up based on his familiarity with our coaching staff. I believe you can never have too many pass rushers, so more help along a depleted front seven would be a welcome sight for MSU.

• Payton Stewart: 3-star OL, Kelso, Wash. (former Oregon State commit)

Also speaking of size in the trenches, it’s no secret that MSU’s offensive line has been hit hard during this coaching change. While the position itself wasn’t up to par last year, (for multiple reasons that are completely understandable) there was still some talent left on the roster when Jonathan Smith was hired in. Some of the said talent has gone to the transfer portal so rebuilding the line up front is going to be key for this new staff.

Enter Payton Stewart. Another former Oregon State commit, he is a towering tackle prospect from Kelso, Wash. He stands 6-foot-7 and weighs about 270 pounds. He and our new offensive line coach Michalczik have also built a solid relationship and we are hoping that pays off with Stewart donning the green and white next fall. He is a top-100 offensive line prospect according to 247Sports and could develop into a major piece under Coach M’s program after some time.

• Rakeem Johnson: 3-star IOL, Boise, Idaho (former Oregon State commit)

Another former Oregon State commit along the offensive line will be joining Stewart in East Lansing this weekend. He is none other than three-star interior lineman Rakeem Johnson. The offensive guard from Boise, Idaho, stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 255 pounds. He is very athletic for his size and a lot of his tape shows the ability to pull and get out front of backs in the run game. This is definitely something Smith likes, as he does tend to try to establish the run. This should fit well in Big Ten play also. Coach M would love to get another one of the guys he recruited to Oregon State initially to help turn this offensive line around quickly.

Michigan State football already received word that a few of its pieces up front withdrew from the transfer portal, so getting guys like the law firm of Young, Stewart, and Johnson would be huge for depth and effectiveness on offense.

• Camren Campbell: 3-star ATH, Tampa, Fla. (former MSU commit)

Another familiar name to Michigan State fans would be three-star athlete Camren Campbell. He is a former MSU pledge who de-committed when Mel Tucker was fired. After his de-commitment in September, he picked up offers from other schools, most notably Oklahoma, and many thought it would be hard to get him back to East Lansing. The fact that he’s coming for another visit this weekend shows a lot about the commitment of Smith and Co. Camren was primarily a corner and wide receiver in high school. He has dynamic speed and playmaking ability. His athleticism would be something both the offense and defense could try to exploit potentially and he does love the vibes in East Lansing. Hopefully after meeting with the staff this weekend, another commitment from him could be on the horizon.

• Francis Brewu: 3-star DL, Columbus, Ohio (Pittsburgh commit)

Probably the most notable of visitors this weekend from a surprise standpoint is Francis Brewu. This is a name that has popped in and out of Michigan State football recruiting talk all fall. The defensive line prospect from Columbus, Ohio, has been committed to Pitt for a while now. His name has popped up quite a bit as a potential flip candidate, however. Miami was a school pushing hard for him over the summer and MSU was another. The previous staff here was eager to try to get him to visit to see about flipping him but they could never get him to commit to a visit.

In less than three weeks on the job, Smith and staff have done so. Francis is a top-50 defensive line prospect nationally according to 247Sports’ rankings and could help bolster the defensive front. This is a big-time opportunity for Smith and Co.

• Martin Connington: 3-star K, Meridian, Idaho (Oregon State commit)

The last, but certainly not least, of the high school prospects would be kicker Martin Connington. He is an Oregon State commit currently but he could be looking to make a move to East Lansing with his head coach. He ranks as the No. 7 kicker in the nation on 247Sports and would be a solid addition to the special teams unit. Martin has both kicked and punted in high school. It’d be unclear exactly what role he would have on the team next year should he flip, as current starting kicker and fan favorite Jonathan Kim already announced he will be back next year. That being said, Kim only has a year remaining of eligibility so Connington could be the kicker of the future should he so choose.

• Jordan Turner: Redshirt junior LB (Wisconsin transfer)

The first of the transfer portal targets we have is linebacker Jordan Turner from Wisconsin. He is a redshirt junior and is originally from Farmington, Mich. He has spent his first few seasons with the Badgers and is becoming a stud at linebacker. Turner has above-average height and length for his position. He shows a good ability in coverage and is a very smart player. Given the state of our current linebacker corps, he has the potential to see the field early and often. His ability to perform in coverage would be a benefit to the new Michigan State football defense.

• Isaia Glass: Junior OT (Arizona State transfer)

The next of our portal targets coming in on visits this weekend would be offensive lineman Isaia Glass who is from Queen Creek, Ariz., and has spent the first few years of his career at Arizona State. Glass would be a welcome addition to the rebuild of the offensive line. He could be a solid player and provide some veteran leadership up front.

• Luke Newman: OG (Holy Cross transfer – unofficial visit)

First off, Luke Newman is only taking an unofficial visit this weekend. He should be on campus today (Dec. 15) per Corey Robinson. He is going to be a graduate transfer from Holy Cross. He will graduate from there this spring and then look to commit to another program after and transfer for the summer.

Newman is originally from Bloomfield Hills, Mich. A graduate of Brother Rice High School, he has played offensive guard at Holy Cross. Another depth piece potentially for the offensive line, Luke would bring some veteran leadership to a young group of guys. Should this weekend’s unofficial visit go well, look for Newman to schedule an official later on.

Overall that’s a lot of talent coming to campus this weekend. Congratulations to all the prospects on their offers and have a great time this weekend. Also, shout out to Jonathan Smith for planning these visits in such a short time. Go Green.