This is an interesting one. A Michigan State legacy and son of MSU radio color commentator Jason Strayhorn, it appeared that the progeny would end up in East Lansing when Mel Tucker was the coach. However, when Jonathan Smith took over, the Spartans didn’t recruit Strayhorn, opening up the door for the Wolverines. Ohio State and some other big schools were involved but ultimately, Strayhorn ended up at his father’s biggest rival.
Readiness Level
Likely a year two-to-four contributor due to the depth ahead of him.
Technically advanced interior offensive line prospect that could very well find himself snapping the football on Saturdays. Under 6-foot-3, but believed to tipping the scales at just over 285 pounds and should only continue to add some good mass in the coming years. Plays with a favorable pad level for his age and will win more times than not by simply gaining leverage on opponents as his upper and lower halves frequently sing to the same tune. Deployed primarily at right tackle as a senior for an IMG Academy program that is known for its o-line development. Had his moments protecting the corner, but should find more success in pass sets when he’s not asked to cover a ton of turf. Projects as a potential multi-year starter at the Power Four level based on what he has put on tape over the years. Ceiling might be highest as a center with his instincts and aggression.
When Michigan football plays rival Michigan State in the future, if you’re listening to the East Lansing broadcast, it will interesting to see how the tone changes from previous iterations of the rivalry.
Jason Strayhorn is a famed former Spartan and the color commentator on radio for MSU and when one of his sons, Kaden, became a big player on the recruiting scene, it seemed likely that the legacy would end up following in his father’s footsteps.
However, it didn’t exactly work out that way.
MSU fell out of favor with Strayhorn through the process. He shared this with WolverinesWire in late May:
“Michigan State, obviously, they’re my first offer, but since this new coaching change that they had, they’ve been very scared to recruit me because of certain offers that I have — like Georgia and Miami, stuff like that,” Strayhorn told WolverinesWire. “They feel that they can’t compete to get me so the way that they are is like if they feel they can’t compete then why try at all? I think it’s kind of silly, but that’s how it is with them. And, everybody’s been saying, ‘Why hasn’t he scheduled his official visit there?’ And that’s why.”
With MSU out, Strayhorn visited Ohio State in advance of his visit to Ann Arbor. But it appears that Michigan won yet another rivalry battle as Strayhorn committed to the Wolverines following his final official visit.
BREAKING: Class of 2025 IOL Kaden Strayhorn has Committed to Michigan, he tells me for @on3recruits
The 6’3 298 IOL from Novi, MI chose the Wolverines over Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, & Miami
Here is how Strayhorn ranks according to the recruiting services:
Stars
Ovr
Pos
State
247Sports Composite
3
435
28
58
On3 Industry Ranking
3
464
39
63
247Sports
3
–
33
67
On3
3
–
70
107
Rivals
4
–
17
48
ESPN
4
–
8
43
Expected to play center in college, Strayhorn also had offers from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Texas, Florida, Florida State, Penn State, Tennessee, USC, and others. He plays high school ball at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy.
If you love #Michigan (and hate MSU) you’re gonna want to read this! #GoBlue
It was all the way back in 2021 when Michigan football offered then-in-state product Kaden Strayhorn — interesting both because of the timing as well as his family pedigree.
In June 2021, Strayhorn hadn’t yet made it to high school, but offers from top-flight schools started rolling in. About to start his freshman year at Novi (Michigan) Catholic Central (he has since transferred to powerhouse program IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida), the now four-star (per Rivals and ESPN) offensive lineman was just scratching the surface.
The more interesting tidbit was he’s the son of Jason Strayhorn, a former Michigan State defensive tackle who is the color commentator for Spartan football games on the radio broadcasts alongside George Blaha.
Yet, it’s Michigan that appears to be making the bigger push while MSU languishes.
The younger Strayhorn is set to embark upon his slate of official visits this week, with three scheduled: Ohio State on May 31, LSU on June 14 and Ann Arbor on June 21. He’s less familiar with the first two than the latter, having lived in the area and also having visited for the 30-24 win over the Buckeyes in November.
But with this upcoming Michigan visit, this one in official capacity, Strayhorn is excited to continue to build upon the preexisting relationships along with learn more about how the Wolverines can develop him as the next great center to come out of Ann Arbor.
“I would say what excites me definitely is just the fact that they have such a great offensive line room history,” Strayhorn told WolverinesWire. “And with coach Moore obviously being the old offensive line coach and now the head coach, a really big thing for me, me and him have been talking for like three years now. And then coach Newsome, when he got the job, he called me like the next day, so we’ve been in contact ever since then. And he calls me probably two, three times a week, we text all the time.
“So I would say it’s just the relationship that I have with them and then how they are developing the offensive line position and especially the center position. Guys like Cesar Ruiz coming from IMG to being a first-round pick at center — and that’s where I am. So that’s pretty much what attracts me to the school.”
Strayhorn is also excited to peek behind the curtain to see what changes, if any, there are in Schembechler Hall, as this will be his first time on campus since the coaching changes that happened in January.
Michigan fans long have been leery about the idea that the son of such a prominent rival could ever end up wearing maize and blue. However, times have changed; we’ve seen Wolverines become Spartans and Spartans become Wolverines, even just in the past few weeks via the transfer portal.
But when it comes to Strayhorn’s recruitment, his father has never dissuaded him from potentially choosing his nemesis. In fact, he’s been nothing but supportive.
“Honestly, my dad supports it, 100%. He’s always been the type of parent to not make me — like ever say to me like, ‘Oh, you have to go to Michigan State,’ or, ‘You have to go to so-and-so school.’ That’s not how he is,” Strayhorn said. “It’s more so that he wants me to go where I want to go and that I can create my own legacy somewhere else. So he’s not moreso what I think the internet perceives it as, like angry — not at all. He’s actually very open to other schools other than Michigan State.”
At the moment, Michigan, LSU, and Ohio State are Strayhorn’s top schools as they’re the three who have official visits set up. Georgia, Alabama, Florida State and Colorado are also recruiting him hard at the moment. But when it comes to MSU, there’s no plan to take an official visit.
Not because he’s already so familiar with the program. But because Strayhorn says Jonathan Smith and the new coaching staff in East Lansing have not exactly opened the door for him.
“Michigan State, obviously, they’re my first offer, but since this new coaching change that they had, they’ve been very scared to recruit me because of certain offers that I have — like Georgia and Miami, stuff like that,” Strayhorn told WolverinesWire. “They feel that they can’t compete to get me so the way that they are is like if they feel they can’t compete then why try at all? I think it’s kind of silly, but that’s how it is with them. And, everybody’s been saying, ‘Why hasn’t he scheduled his official visit there?’ And that’s why.”
Strayhorn will take two more official visits fitting in the gaps in his June schedule. Then he’ll weigh all his options and figure out which school is best for him with a July commitment on the docket.
When it comes to his decision, it’s pretty clear-cut what will be the deciding factors.
“It’s going to be development. It’s going to be about where the heads are, the headspace of the offensive linemen there in the room,” Strayhorn said. “It’s going to be what how the coach is, it’s going to be about what type of schemes they run. How do they feature their center? It’s going to be about the pedigree of the offensive line room. And it’s going to be — every school obviously has the facilities and the depth. It’s about what’s in the facility. So, definitely the coaches and development that’s the main thing I’m looking for. And I would say just who’s gonna develop me into a good young man. And I think the three schools I’ve locked in with are definitely offensive line coaches and head coaches that can develop me into the young man I want to be so that’s definitely what it would be.”
On3 and 247Sports both have Strayhorn ranked as a three-star prospect with ESPN and Rivals having him as a four-star. ESPN is the highest, having him rated as the eighth-best interior offensive lineman in the 2025 recruiting cycle.
Strayhorn also broke down WolverinesWire what he’s looking forward to when it comes to his visits to Ohio State and LSU. You can read what he said about each below.
Ohio State
Photo: Isaiah Hole
“With Ohio State, it would just be being on campus. I haven’t really been on campus there a lot. I’ve only been there once for a camp and that was a year ago when they offered me. And then I haven’t been there since or before. So it will just be — my dad tells me a lot of good things about it. It’ll just be me getting on campus and seeing the atmosphere, going to the stadium and see how it is. I’ve never been so it’ll be that.
“And then what attracts me is coach Frye and coach Sollenne, for sure. I think that they’re both really good coaches. And I think that coach Frye is very good at developing the offensive line position. And I think that Ohio State’s history and pedigree of it says a lot. So that’s why I set the visit up with them.”
LSU
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
“For them I’ve never been there before. They came on the Monday we had an A-day practice and the offensive line coach is super close with my offensive line coach. And, he came and he actually only flew just to see me and he talked with me and my dad for like two hours and offered me and told me, ‘We want to do this thing and get you here.’
“They think, based off what happened with their center — so they had they had a center Charles Turner from IMG actually, and they wanted him to come back. And so he told him he was going to come back. So the guy that they already had moved behind him into the portal. And then a few weeks later, Charles decided to enter the draft. So they literally don’t have a true center. They have a guard playing center right now for this upcoming year. So the coach sees the position they’re in and sees me as the fix.
“So that’s what interests me in them and then also just — if you see they have the No. 1 offensive line in college football this year. Two first-round tackles. And it’s just the pedigree of what they’ve had before. And, you know, it’s Louisiana State University – it’s a big deal. So I think that’s definitely what drives me to be interested in taking the official visit and I’m looking forward to that one for sure.”
Four-star IMG Academy offensive tackle recruit Kaden Strayhorn names his top schools
Four-star offensive line recruit Kaden Strayhorn has named his top schools. Strayhorn includes the Georgia Bulldogs in his top 12.
Kaden Strayhorn is a member of the class of 2025. He plays high school football for national powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Strayhorn is ranked as the No. 380 recruit in the country and the No. 20 interior offensive lineman. Strayhorn is the No. 54 recruit in Florida, per 247Sports.
The 6-foot-3, 285-pound offensive lineman considers USC, Georgia, Alabama, Michigan State, Texas, Missouri, Penn State, Tennessee, Miami, Florida, Ohio State and Michigan to be his top schools.
Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs already have a solid foundation to the 2025 recruiting cycle with multiple five-star commitments. Georgia holds the No. 8 class of 2025 in the country.
Kaden Strayhorn announced his top schools via social media:
Georgia is always looking to sign elite offensive line prospects. The Bulldogs typically take in between five and seven offensive line recruits per cycle.
This IMG Academy standout would make a great addition to Florida’s 2025 recruiting class.
Things have been quiet on the college football recruiting front of late but that does not mean that Billy Napier and Co. are sleeping at the wheel. In fact, it is quite to the contrary — the Florida football staff has continued to work tirelessly behind the scenes to woo the top prep prospects to Gainesville.
Among the many the Gators are pursuing is four-star interior offensive lineman [autotag]Kaden Strayhorn[/autotag] who is originally from Novi, Michigan, but plays for the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Inittially offered a scholarship back in 2023, the 6-foot-3-inch, 285-pound trench warrior is looking to return to the Swamp once the contact period restrictions are lifted.
The last time the 2025 recruit visited campus was for the win over the Tennessee Volunteers last fall.
The coveted blue-chipper also plans on setting his official visit schedule once his first round of trips is in the books and is eyeing a Hogtown stop. Some of the programs also mentioned were the USC Trojans, Michigan Wolverines and Texas Longhorns, plus possible returns to see Miami and Georgia.
“After I get through this round of (spring) visits, I’ll be going to start scheduling those and drop the dates in the summer,” Strayhorn told Alderman.
As for what stands out about the Florida Gators from the other schools, it is the vibe that the campus nurtures that stood out to Strayhorn the most.
“The culture that they have up there,” he noted. “When I went to the Tennessee game, the fan base was crazy. It was one of the best games I’ve been to. Also, my ex-teammate Knijeah Harris goes there, and he gives great reviews about the program. They also have programs like GatorMade.”
Strayhorn is rated at four stars and ranked No. 380 overall and No. 20 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking rates him at three stars and has him at Nos. 448 and 28, respectively.
On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has the Michigan State Spartans with an 84.8% lead in the race for his talents, followed by Michigan (4.0%), Alabama (2.3%) and Florida (1.9%).
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Ohio State football is one of a dozen schools that 2025 Florida offensive lineman Kaden Strayhorn has narrowed down his list to.
Ohio State football typically goes to Florida each recruiting cycle and returns North with more than a few great prospects.
Last cycle it was wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and Leroy Roker, and in the 2025 class there’s already a commitment from wide receiver Jayvan Boggs. The Buckeyes are looking to bring a few others to Columbus and one of them is offensive lineman [autotag]Kaden Strayhorn[/autotag].
The 6-foot, 3-inch and 285-pound IMG Academy prospect narrowed his list on Saturday to 12 teams. It may seem like a lot for the No. 20 interior offensive lineman and 380th overall player according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, but it’s still a good sign for the Buckeyes.
Strayhorn’s ranking may seem like it’s a bit low considering his offer list, so expect him to rise in the rankings once his senior season begins.
Contact/Follow @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on X.
A popular legacy recruit in the 2025 class added Michigan State in his top 12:
Kaden Strayhorn’s father is known to almost all of Spartan nation. Jason is the color commentator on the radio broadcasts for MSU football, while also hosting the This is Sparta podcast, beloved by Spartan fans. Now, there is another Strayhorn for Spartans to monitor
Jason’s son, Kaden, is one of the top offensive line prospects in the nation, attending IMG Academy. He is a 4-star, ranking as the No. 380 overall player in the nation, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
Wisconsin offers three-star athlete from IMG Academy
The Badgers offered Kaden Strayhorn, a three-star class of 2025 interior offensive lineman from Bradenton, Florida, on Monday. The 6-foot-3, 285-pound player still has one more year at IMG Academy before he’d look to make the jump to the college game.
Strayhorn is originally from Detroit, but he transferred IMG in 2022 and he’s now received 23 Division 1 offers, including Alabama, Georgia, Michigan and Ohio State. Wisconsin will have their work cut out for them in acquiring his talents in 2025.
The athlete projects as a center, and considering the Badgers’ starter from 2023, Tanor Bortolini, has moved on to the NFL and Jake Renfro, their current expected starter for 2024, is a redshirt senior, he could be a valuable addition.
Michigan State football re-offers 2025 legacy 3-star IOL Kaden Strayhorn
Back in 2022, Michigan State football first offered 2025 3-star interior offensive lineman Kaden Strayhorn. This weekend, the new Spartans’ coaching staff re-affirmed that commitment, re-offering Strayhorn on Sunday.
Strayhorn, the son of MSU football alum Jayson Strayhorn, currently plays for the lauded IMG Academy and is the No. 19 ranked IOL in the 2025 class by 247Sports and their No. 345 ranked player in the 2025 class overall.
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.
The Florida Gators have made a point of recruiting IMG Academy standouts, and they’ll get four-star lineman Kaden Strayhorn in town Saturday.
Florida’s recruiting guest list for the upcoming rivalry game against Tennessee just got a little bit bigger.
IMG Academy interior offensive lineman [autotag]Kaden Strayhorn[/autotag] will be in town for the UF-UT game, according to a social media post sent out by him on Tuesday (below).
Of course, Strayhorn isn’t the first IMG interior lineman that Florida has recruited. Knijeah Harris, a member of the 2023 signing class, is already getting significant reps as a true freshman and figures to be a building block for the future of Florida’s offensive line.
This will be Strayhorn’s first trip to Gainesville. Florida offered him on Aug. 2, the second day coaches could reach out to the class of 2025.
At publishing time, Michigan State leads the On3 recruiting prediction machine for Strayhorn with 87.4% odds to land him. He’s a legacy recruit at MSU, but that program is going through a lot right now.
A native of Novi, Michigan, Strayhorn is also connected to the Michigan Wolverines (2.8%). Alabama (2.4%) and Texas (2.0%) round out the top four, but this weekend could change everything.
Strayhorn is also showing some interest in Miami. The Hurricanes brought in former five-star IMG Academy offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa in the 2023 cycle, beating out Florida among other programs.
Both 247Sports and On3 grade Strayhorn out as a three-star talent, but ESPN and Rivals are high enough on him to grant him that coveted fourth-star. As a result, his On3 industry ranking and 247Sports composite grades are both four stars as well.
Strayhorn is No. 321 overall on the industry ranking, which uses a weighted average from all four services. He’s also No. 19 among interior offensive linemen in the class of 2025 and No. 48 among recruits from the state of Florida.
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
