“I said ‘Look down at your feet right now,’” Dantonio said. “He looked down there, I said, ‘You just imagine those feet planted right in the middle of the Rose Bowl because that’s where they’re going to be within four or five years from now.’”

Defensive end Tyler Hoover, a three-star recruit (out of five) out of Novi High School, said goals such as playing in the Rose Bowl were one of his key reasons for signing with the Spartans.

“The character of the new coaching staff, the character of these coaches, and the attitude they have and the intensity,” he said. “I believe Coach D and the entire coaching staff that they were going to make it happen.”

Dantonio and the rest of the MSU coaching staff believe the members of the 2008 recruiting class will help them get there.

“Recruiting is about the needs that we have, and I think that’s important to understand that every program has needs,” said Dantonio, who listed the linebacking corps, defensive secondary and offensive line as his team’s needs.

After signing one linebacker in last year’s class, the Spartans inked three in 2008 – all from Ohio.

Steve Gardiner, a three-star recruit from Coffman High School in Dublin, Ohio, is ranked as the No. 18 inside linebacker in the nation according to Scout.com.

Dantonio said Gardiner’s character and toughness remind him of former Ohio State and current Green Bay Packers’ linebacker A.J. Hawk.

“He reminds me a lot of (Hawk), in terms of what he brought to Ohio State,” he said. “A.J. was not the fastest linebacker coming in or the biggest linebacker coming – he was the best linebacker coming in.”

Dantonio describes Burrell and three-star safety Brynden Trawick, from Sprayberry High School in Marietta, Ga., as “thumpers” – players who are quick enough to cover a lot of ground yet strong enough to bump opposing receivers.

While the Spartans added depth at those key positions, the headliner of the 2008 class is Fred Smith, from Detroit’s Southeastern High School. Smith is a four-star recruit according to Rivals.com and Scout.com, and ranked as the No. 4 overall player in the state.

Jamie Newburg, national editor for Scout.com, said Smith is the type of player who can come in and make an impact during his first season.

“He’s physical, has good speed and strength – he’s the type of kid that’s going be good in the red zone and be able to move the chain,” Newburg said. “I think in any true freshman, it might take him a while to catch up to the speed of the game, but I think he can make quite a contribution next season.”

Newburg said he thought MSU’s class excelled in three areas: need, speed and balance. While he would currently rank the overall class somewhere in the middle of the Big Ten, Newburg said these players bode well for the future.

Rivals.com had MSU’s recruiting class ranked as the seventh best in the Big Ten, while Scout.com ranked the Spartans ninth in the conference.

Regardless of the current overall rankings, Dantonio – who rated the class between a B and B-minus – said he’s going to wait until the end of the season to fully evaluate the 2008 class.

“When I look at last year’s class, I put our guys up on the board and ask, ‘Right now do we take that guy again or not? Is he going to be a contributor?’” Dantonio said.

“Last year’s class showed up. It’s up to this year’s class to show up, but I believe they will, and I believe you’ll be seeing a number of these players in Spartan Stadium.”