The key ingredients to a passing attack are a quarterback with a strong arm and wide receivers with speed and height.
And the Spartans didn’t have to look far for the speed and height, with three Michigan wide receivers among MSU football’s 2002 recruiting class.
The 6-foot-7 Matt Trannon joins Kyle Brown and Agim Shabaj, who have both been clocked 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
Brown and Trannon are ready to sign Wednesday, but Shabaj is having second thoughts. Shabaj made a visit to the University of Georgia after verbally committing to MSU, but reportedly spent time in East Lansing last week.
Rivals.com recruiting analyst Jeremy Crabtree said the Spartans’ incoming wide receivers have the potential to do great things.
He said Brown and Shabaj will get playing time and should compliment sophomore wide receiver Charles Rogers.
“Kyle is a top 100 player, and Agim has breakaway speed and can get down the field,” he said.
Crabtree said Shabaj’s decision could be critical for the Spartans.
“Anytime you have two impact receivers coming it’s going to be a great upside,” he said.
At 6-3 and 195 pounds, Brown has size and speed. His senior season was cut short because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
But Brown said he’s recovering and ready to make a difference for the Spartans.
“I see myself fitting in real nice here,” Brown said.
Brown is a senior at West Bloomfield High, and is close to Shabaj and incoming quarterback Drew Stanton, who both attend Farmington Hills Harrison High.
“I have a good relationship with a lot of players here and a lot of players coming in,” Brown said.
He said it feels good to be part of a great wide receiver class, and hopes Shabaj will honor his verbal commitment and attend MSU.
“Agim is really elusive and he’s got great hands,” Brown said. “He’ll fit in real nicely.”
A sharp contrast to Brown and Shabaj, Trannon is a tall, physical receiver.
Garry Lee, Trannon’s coach at Flint Northern High, said there’s more to Trannon then just his size.
“He’s not just a big player, he has speed and tremendous instinct as well,” Lee said.
Lee said Trannon, who also will play basketball for MSU, is a great fit for the Spartans because he already joins an athletic team.
“MSU seems to get the big receivers with size and speed,” he said. “And to me the receivers are the best athletes.”
He said having Rogers on one side and Trannon on the other side could present trouble for defenses in how the stop the offense.
“They are two great receivers and they’ll be hard to defend,” he said. “Basically, it comes down to do you want to bleed fast or do you want to bleed slow?”
