Instead, he quietly goes about his business on and off the football field.

“His leadership role is more on the football field (rather than in the locker room), to show what he’s got,” Ypsilanti head coach David Poole said. “He’s the play guy and he takes that in stride.”

Spencer has made plenty of plays during his three years on Ypsilanti’s varsity team, capping off his career with 27 receptions for 303 yards and four touchdowns his senior season for the Braves, who finished 5-4.

His play on the football field, coupled with his impressive 6-foot-4, 197-pound frame, has made him a four-star recruit and the No. 10 overall prospect in Michigan, according to recruiting Web site Rivals.com.

In addition to his size, Poole also pointed to Spencer’s intangibles as reasons recruiters and college coaches hold him in high regard. Poole said Spencer runs routes at “a freshman level, maybe even a little further,” and goes “head-hunting” when he doesn’t get the ball, looking up-field to block.

“I take pride in it,” Spencer said of his desire to block for his teammates. “It’s kind of fun helping other people score and watching them achieve something.”

Off the field, Spencer stands out in style. Described by teachers as a “crisp” and “clean” dresser, Spencer — who grew up in Ohio before moving to Ypsilanti before eighth grade — was nicknamed “The Fonz” after the famously well-dressed character on the 1970s and ’80s TV show “Happy Days” by a middle school teacher.

Kathi Weathers, Spencer’s mother, said she’s always stressed to her only child that how he carries himself in life contributes to his success — both on the gridiron and off it.

“What that does is make the other kids say, ‘I’m going to dress like him,” Weathers said. “He’s not a vocal leader, he’s an example leader by his actions. It’s like, ‘OK, I want to be like this kid.’”

Another value Weathers has instilled in her son is to be coachable — a quality that has made Spencer a perfect fit for MSU.

Donald Spencer Sr. said his son wanted to commit to MSU instantly after his initial visit.

“(MSU) came in the picture at the middle of January and it was more (about) family, I felt more at home up there,” Spencer said. “They had a great program and they’re a program on the uprise, they’re (9-2) now and that’s good. That’s the place to be.”