Tag: Michigan State Football

Saints guaranteed more money to Joe Bachie than most NFL undrafted free agents

The New Orleans Saints guaranteed $160,000 to Michigan State linebacker Joe Bachie, one of the NFL’s highest-paid undrafted free agent deals

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The hours after the NFL draft are a maelstrom, with agents, media, fans, and the players themselves all jockeying to announce deals between rookie free agents and the teams working quickly to recruit them. Those discussions often manifest in bidding wars as teams make competing offers for players, guaranteeing greater portions of their base salary or lucrative signing bonuses.

In 2020, that meant the Saints paid a few of their undrafted free agents like seventh-round picks, particularly valuing Michigan State linebacker Joe Bachie (who received $160,000 in guarantees, making him one of the NFL’s highest-paid college free agents). Versatile Oregon offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton was also guaranteed $122,5000 by the Saints. Bachie and Throckmorton were the only members of the rookie free agent class to break the $100,000 threshold in guarantees, though a few others came close. That suggests the team valued them highly and expects each rookie to make a strong case for a roster spot.

For comparison, last year’s final draft pick, Idaho linebacker Kaden Elliss, was guaranteed only a $76,316 signing bonus. The Saints also picked Notre Dame tight end Alize Mack a few slots ahead of Elliss in the seventh round, who was guaranteed a $93,636 signing bonus, though he was later cut from the practice squad and has since bounced around between a few other teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs.

Here are the reported guarantees for each member of the Saints undrafted free agent class. All have a base salary of $610,000, though greater portions of that are guaranteed for some than others. They are ordered by guaranteed salaries, with signing bonuses noted in parentheses:

  1. LB Joe Bachie, Michigan State: $145,000 guaranteed salary (plus $15,000 signing bonus)
  2. OL Calvin Throckmorton, Oregon: $110,000 guaranteed salary (plus $12,500 signing bonus)
  3. DL Malcolm Roach, Texas: $85,000 guaranteed salary (plus $10,000 signing bonus)
  4. WR Marquez Callaway, Tennessee, $85,000 guaranteed salary (plus $10,000 signing bonus)
  5. OL Jordan Steckler, Northern Illinois: $75,000 guaranteed salary (plus $15,000 signing bonus)
  6. WR Juwan Johnson, Oregon: $75,000 guaranteed salary (plus $10,000 signing bonus)
  7. CB Tino Ellis, Maryland: $17,500 guaranteed
  8. DE Gus Cumberlander, Oregon: $1,500 signing bonus
  9. CB Keith Washington Jr., West Virginia: TBD
  10. P Blake Gillikin, Penn State: TBD
  11. RB Tony Jones Jr., Notre Dame: TBD
  12. OL Adrian Magee, LSU: TBD
  13. OL Darrin Paulo, Utah: TBD

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Michigan State Football offers 2022 4-star DL KJ Miles out of New Jersey

Michigan State has offered one of the top players in the state of New Jersey in pass rusher KJ Miles.

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Continuing Mel Tucker’s theme of offering some of the top prospects around the country, on Wednesday it was announced that Michigan State Football has offered 2022 4-star pass rusher KJ Miles (Keith Miles Jr.) a scholarship.

Miles, who can play multiple positions on the defensive line, as well as some offensive tackle, is the No. 9 ranked weak side defensive end in the 2022 class according to the 247Sports rankings. They also have him ranked as the No. 4 player in the state of New Jersey for his class.

To the surprise of no one, Miles, who currently plays for St. Peters Prep, has offers out from the likes of Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Baylor, Tennessee, and many more, so this is another big swing from Tucker on the recruiting trail.

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MSU Football players, recruits chime in on recruitment of 4-star Jamari Buddin

Jamari Buddin pondered a future with Michigan State on Wednesday and a few players, both active and recruits weighed in.

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Jamari Buddin is, undoubtedly, one of the best recruiting prospects in the state of Michigan. A month ago, the Belleville, Michigan prospect placed Michigan State Football in his top-7 choices for his recruitment, getting MSU fans, players, and recruits excited about the potential to add a player who would be one of the prize-jewels of the MSU 2021 recruiting class. Today, Buddin posted a tweet pondering a future with the Spartans and a few active players from different backgrounds chimed in on Buddin’s potential commitment to the Spartans.

Here is Buddin’s initial tweet:

First we have Devontae Dobbs, MSU’s offensive lineman who will be entering his second season with the Spartans:

Next is Charles Brantley, the 4-star corner who committed to the Spartans at the end of April:

And here we have Andrel Anthony Jr., another one of the top prospects in Michigan who has yet to commit to a program. Anthony plays for East Lansing High School and has MSU in his top-10 for recruitment:

There is a lot of excitement around Buddin’s recruitment, and for good reason, as the outside linebacker is a clear top-10 player in the state of Michigan for his recruiting class and would be a major recruiting win for the Spartans.

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Michigan State Football makes top-10 for 3-star WR Simeon Price’s recruitment

Michigan State has made the top ten for the recruitment of Florida wide receiver Simeon Price.

New Michigan State Football head coach Mel Tucker has made it clear that he wants to be able to compete in recruiting top players from every state in the country, and he might be one step closer to landing a highly ranked wide receiver from Pensacola, Florida as Simeon Price put the Spartans in his top-10 for recruiting on Wednesday.

Price is a 6’0″, 204-pound wide receiver out of West Florida Tech High School in Pensacola and is the No. 60 ranked player in Florida according to the 247Sports rankings. They also have him listed as the No. 64 wide receiver in the 2021 class.

Price’s top-10 is filled with high profile schools. Here is the full list:

  • Oklahoma
  • South Carolina
  • Mississippi State
  • Georgia Tech
  • Virginia Tech
  • Arkansas
  • Nebraska
  • Michigan State
  • Ole Miss
  • Tennessee

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Locked On Spartans Podcast – Matt’s solo mailbag extravaganza

Big Ten football gambling and a ton of listener questions

Matt is solo today (for the last time) and talks about Big Ten football futures before diving into a huge mailbag episode.

You can find the episode on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

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Michigan State Football offers 4-star wide receiver Shaleak Knotts, No. 2 player in NC

MSU Football has offered one of the top wide receivers in the 2022 recruiting class in Shaleak Knotts.

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Shaleak Knotts is currently predicted to attend North Carolina to play football, but don’t tell Mel Tucker that. The Michigan State head coach offered Knotts a scholarship on Tuesday despite the Monroe, North Carolina’s projection to attend his local college.

Knotts is the No. 2 ranked player in North Carolina and the No. 8 wide receiver in the 2022 class according to 247sports. He currently attends Monroe High School.

Aside from North Carolina, here is the full list of teams that have offered Knotts so far:

  • East Carolina
  • Kentucky
  • Miami
  • Penn State
  • Rutgers
  • Tennessee
  • Vanderbilt
  • Virginia
  • Virginia Tech
  • South Carolina
  • Akron
  • Coastal Carolina

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Michigan State Football offers 2021 3-star OLB Jordan Eubanks

MSU has offered Jordan Eubanks out of Denton, Texas, whose recruitment has heated up of late.

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The recruitment of 2021 3-star OLB Jordan Eubanks has taken off in the last few weeks, and you can add Michigan State to the long list of schools to offer the Guyer High School Football standout in the last month.

Eubanks, who is out of Denton, Texas, is the No. 78 ranked outside linebacker in the 2021 class and the No. 189 ranked player in Texas according to 247sports.

Here is the full list of schools that have offered Eubanks:

  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • Boston College
  • Florida State
  • Houston
  • Louisiana
  • Louisiana-Monroe
  • Michigan State
  • Pittsburgh
  • San Diego State
  • SMU
  • Syracuse
  • Texas State
  • UTSA
  • Abilene Christian
  • Houston Baptist
  • Illinois State

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Michigan State Football offers highly ranked OT in 2023 class Joshua Miller

Michigan State has offered one of the highest-ranked offensive line recruits in the 2023 class in Joshua Miller.

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According to his own Twitter bio, Joshua Miller is the No. 3 ranked offensive tackle in the 2023 class. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound lineman is definitely one of the biggest linemen in his class, which makes him a great fit for the apparently size-obsessed head coach of the Michigan State Football team Mel Tucker.

Thus far, Tucker has shown a propensity to recruit the tallest players he can get his hands on, particularly on the offensive line, and Miller fits that to a T.

Miller currently plays for Life Christian Academy in Colonial Heights, Virginia, and has offers out from a number of teams already including Maryland, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Texas A&M, West Virginia, Liberty, and Virginia.

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Michigan State Football offers 2023 OT Johnathan Slack out of Detroit, MI

Michigan State Football has made an offer to 2023 OT Johnathan Slack Jr. out of Detroit, MI. Read more details about the prospect today.

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Michigan State Football recruiting efforts are not just focused on this year or next year only. Instead, Mel Tucker and staff are already making early offers to 2023 recruits. This time, 2023 OT Jonathan Slack Jr. out of Detroit, MI, announced he has received an offer from the Spartans. This is the tenth 2023 recruiting class offer from Michigan State.

Slack stands at 6’3″ and weighs 245 pounds. He currently plays for Martin Luther King High School. Other teams also put forth early offers to Slack. As of right now, he has offers from Kentucky, Memphis, Ole Miss, and Southern Miss.

Check out some of his highlights here.

Check out the tracker for all of the 2021 recruiting commitments for Michigan State here.

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Locked On Spartans Podcast: The top “what if” moments of the Mark Dantonio era

Fourteen moments that could have swung the tide either way for the Dantonio era.

Matt is solo today and starts the show riffing a bit on Cassius Winston’s last MSU media availability. Then he gives his top “what if?” moments of the Mark Dantonio era.

You can find the episode on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

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