Thursday, March 28, 2024

Football completes 2018 recruiting class on National Signing Day

February 8, 2018
MSU football head coach Mark Dantonio addresses the media before the men's basketball game against Wisconsin on Jan. 26, 2018 at Breslin Center. (Nic Antaya | The State News)
MSU football head coach Mark Dantonio addresses the media before the men's basketball game against Wisconsin on Jan. 26, 2018 at Breslin Center. (Nic Antaya | The State News) —

After signing 20 recruits on the early National Signing Day on Dec. 20, Mark Dantonio only had a few recruits he still targeted to secure.

Failing to get coveted four-star wide receiver Tommy Bush and three-star defensive end Habakkuk Baldonado to come to East Lansing, Dantonio finalized his 2018 recruiting class at 24 players on Feb. 7 by adding four more players: athlete David Kruse, wide receiver Jalen Nailor, punter William Przystup and offensive lineman Dan VanOpstall. 

Nailor was the lone player to sign a National Letter of Intent, while Kruse and VanOpstall are walk-ons for the No. 31 recruiting class in the nation, according to 247Sports.

Nailor, who announced his commitment on Feb. 3, is a 5-foot-11 wide receiver from Las Vegas and is a three-star recruit, according to 247Sports.

"He has the experience of being in a college-bound atmosphere, both athletically and academically, and has competed against some of the best football teams in the country," Dantonio said in a press release. "He was an extremely productive offensive player. He can also return punts and kicks. The other thing that impressed me is that he’s a tough, physical defensive player as well."

Kruse is a six-foot, 200 pound native of Belding, Michigan and was the starting quarterback his junior and senior years at Lowell High School. His brother, Connor, played for Dantonio from 2012-14 and started his seven games in his senior season in 2014. David’s second older brother, Danny, is a redshirt freshman wrestler at MSU.

Dantonio said David will start out playing safety, and could either stay at safety or switch to linebacker.

"David brings a Kyler Elsworth-like mentality into our program again," Dantonio said. "He’s also a tremendous wrestler and an excellent student."

The last signee, VanOpstall, is a 6-foot-6, 255 pound offensive lineman that also played on the defensive line at Jenison High School. Like David, he also wrestled in high school.

"He really locks onto you," Dantonio said. "I think he’s a very goal-oriented person with a tremendous mindset.”

Przystup is a native of Oviedo, Florida, and averaged 42.1 yards per punt in his senior season at Oviedo High School. Dantonio said he expects Przystup to take over punting duties once junior punter Jake Hartbarger graduates next year.

“William is an outstanding punter who can really get the ball up. He is a good athlete with size and length," Dantonio said. "He’ll have a chance to get settled in his first year and learn from Jake. I think he will have a tremendous career.”

Wide receiver and cornerback Jalen Allen is rumored to walk-on to MSU, according to Ryan Zuke of the Ann Arbor News. MSU Athletics could only confirm David, VanOpstall and Przystup have walked-on at the time this article was published.

MSU will start the regular season on Aug. 31 against Utah State in Spartan Stadium. Dantonio announced in mid-January that the annual spring game could be played on April 7 at night.

Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.

Discussion

Share and discuss “Football completes 2018 recruiting class on National Signing Day” on social media.