Despite sitting in last place in the Big Ten, MSU’s football program lured another recruit to East Lansing with the verbal commitment of 6-foot-5-inch, 260-pound defensive end Kevin Vickerson.

Vickerson, who committed at the end of July, has still been visiting other colleges this fall, but said MSU is definitely where he’ll be headed next year.

“I loved the atmosphere there,” he said. “The character of the players and coaches was great. They’re sticking (the rough season) out together.”

Vickerson was also considering Ohio State, Georgia Tech, Miami and Michigan, and had received offers from each school.

“I’ve always liked the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry,” he said. “But I’ll be rooting for State from now on.”

Vickerson will most likely stay in his defensive end position next fall because his quickness and strength make him a powerful end, he said. He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.85 seconds.

But he is also thinking ahead on what he’d like to improve before his college career.

“I want to work on staying low,” he said. “That’s everyone’s thing though. If I can do that, and work on some extra techniques and stay healthy, I’ll be ready to play some good ball.”

During the weekend, Vickerson had more luck than the Spartan team, as he helped lead his Detroit Martin Luther King High School team to a city championship over Detroit Kettering. Both teams went into Saturday’s game undefeated, but Kettering was favored by the local media, Vickerson said.

“They’re just another school,” Vickerson said before the game. “I know we’ll pull it off.”

Vickerson is considered one of the top defensive ends in the state, said Bill Kurelic, a writer for the recruiting Web site Rivals100.com.

“He’s really outstanding,” he said. “He is committed to MSU, but has been looking at some other schools and might visit them.”

Vickerson joins four other recruits for the 2001 season: wide receiver Ben Steckler, tight end Jason Randall, kicker Dave Rayner and offensive lineman Chris Morris.