Antjuan Simmons commits to Michigan State on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017.
Michigan State lost out to Michigan on a number of the state’s top players. So the Spartans dipped into Ann Arbor to pry one their way.
Linebacker Antjuan Simmons announced his commitment today to Mark Dantonio, giving MSU its 18th player for the 2017 recruiting class.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder, a senior at Ann Arbor Pioneer High, had previously committed to Ohio State before reopening his recruitment last month. Simmons picked MSU over Notre Dame, Arizona, the Buckeyes and others. He is ranked eighth in the state and the nation’s 20th outside linebacker prospect according to 247Sports.com.
I'm coming home!💚🔥 #gogreen https://t.co/X2SUxo5IgI
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Antjuan Simmons (@_antjuan_) January 14, 2017A two-time Free Press Dream Team member at running back, Simmons ran for 1,112 yards on 148 carries for 18 touchdowns and added seven catches for 72 yards for Pioneer. At linebacker, he had 65 tackles, eight for loss, and one forced fumble.
Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Antjuan Simmons.
Simmons is the second player to commit to the Spartans since their 3-9 season began. Dantonio said in mid-December, after athlete Connor Heyward’s commitment, that MSU planned to add between four and seven more recruits to this year’s class.
Signing day is Feb. 1. Three players – receiver Hunter Rison, tight end Jack Camper and defensive back Josiah Scott – have already enrolled at MSU.
Rison, at No. 10, is the only other Spartan recruit in the top 10 of 247Sports.com’s in-state rankings. The Wolverines have landed seven of the 10 best in the state.
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MSU CLASS OF 2017
Here are the Spartans’ 18 committed players for their 2017 recruiting class.
Weston Bridges, RB, 6-1, 200, Akron, Ohio (Copley High)
*Jack Camper, TE, 6-4, 225, Bradenton, Florida (IMG Academy)
Matt Carrick, OL, 6-4, 320, Massillon, Ohio (Washington High)
Darien Clemons, ATH, 6-1, 210, Piqua, Ohio
Matt Dotson, TE, 6-5, 226, Cincinnati (Archbishop Moeller)
Connor Heyward, ATH, 6-1, 200, Suwanee, Georgia (Peachtree Ridge High)
Kevin Jarvis, OL, 6-5, 315, Park Ridge, Illinois (Maine South High)
Mustafa Khaleefah, OL, 6-6, 285, Dearborn
Rocky Lombardi, QB, 6-3, 220, West Des Moines, Iowa (Valley High)
Dominique Long, DB, 6-2, 185, Westerville, Ohio (Westerville South High)
Jacub Panasiuk, DE, 6-4, 260, Roselle, Illinois (Lake Park High)
Lashawn Paulino-Bell, DE, 6-3, 230, Fort Lauderdale, Florida (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Jordan Reid, OL, 6-4, 284, Detroit (Cass Tech)
* Hunter Rison, WR, 5-11, 190, Ann Arbor Skyline
* Josiah Scott, DB, 5-10, 165, Fairfield, Ohio
Antjuan Simmons, LB, 6-1, 215, Ann Arbor Pioneer
Cody White, WR, 6-3, 190, Walled Lake Western
Donovan Winter, DE, 6-4, 240, Orlando, Florida (Bishop Moore Catholic)
* Already enrolled at MSU
Full list: Michigan State recruits (with highlights)
Michigan State lands preferred walk-on in Carleton’s Brent Mossburg
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari. Download our Spartans Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!