With the conclusion of National Signing Day on Wednesday, the MSU football recruiting class is now mostly finalized. The wide receiver position was one of the keys for MSU football on the recruiting trail, as the graduation of both of the Spartans' leading receivers in 2015, Aaron Burbridge and Macgarrett Kings Jr., left space for the addition of new talent.
The Spartans addressed this hole earlier in the recruiting season by signing Donnie Corley of Wyandotte and Cameron Chambers of Sicklerville, New Jersey, both of whom enrolled at MSU for the spring 2016 semester. On National Signing Day, the Spartans added receivers Justin Layne of Cleveland, Ohio and Trishton Jackson of West Bloomfield to their 2016 class. All four of MSU's 2016 receivers are considered four-star recruits by 247Sports.
The four all stand at 6-foot-2 or taller, but MSU wide receivers coach Terrence Samuel said they are all-around talents, with speed to go along with their heights.
"All you can do is smile when you see Donnie Corley and Cam come around that corner, both of them have long strides, and they look real pretty doing it," Samuel said. "The two that’s coming, I think they’ll be even faster than the ones I’ve got. With Tristan and Justin, it is truly a kid in a candy store."
Jackson was the last of the four to commit to MSU, and with sixteen receivers returning to MSU from the 2015 team in addition to Corley, Chambers and Layne, there was some doubt about whether adding a 20th player at the position was worthwhile.
"Initially, we were going to take three wide receivers," head coach Mark Dantonio said. "After seeing Trishton perform, we decided we would take four. He’s that type of player, that level of player."
Samuel said that Jackson's prowess on the basketball court helped convince the coaching staff of his value.
"What he does on the basketball court translates so beautifully to the wide receiver position," Samuel said. "Being the point guard, handling the ball, ball control. When you watch him playing basketball, the confidence, I love that about him."
Layne was also a versatile athlete in high school. Like Jackson, he was a basketball player, but he also served as a two-way player on his high school football team, as did Corley.
Dantonio, citing numerous past MSU receivers who also played on the defensive end, said that Layne and Corley may have the opportunity to continue as two-way players at MSU.
Layne made his decision to come to MSU in June, and Dantonio
praised his toughness in sticking with his original commitment in an age
when players are often recruited even after they have committed.
Quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator Brad Salem said that the four true freshmen receivers could have an impact as soon as next season thanks to the departure of Kings, Burbridge and DeAnthony Arnett. Dantonio shared Salem's sentiment.
"We’ve got four wide receivers coming in who I really think will play as young freshmen," Dantonio said.
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