“It was very easy for me, because Michigan State felt like home," he said. "I felt really comfortable up there.”

The junior lineman had already received 13 Division I offers before making his decision, according to 247sports.com, including notable offers from University of Michigan, Auburn University, and Arkansas. Mark Dantonio and his staff were very active in recruiting Jarvis, which impressed his high school coach, Dave Inserra.

“Michigan State staff did an outstanding job of recruiting Kevin,” Inserra said. “They really did their homework on him, took their time, did all the little things that were essential to get him. I was really impressed right from the get-go. I knew it was going to be a great fit.”

Jarvis, who stands at 6-foot-5.5 and weighs 335 pounds, has the size needed to succeed as an offensive lineman. Inserra said his skills and work ethic are what set him apart.

“He’s got outstanding feet and explosiveness," he said. "You’re only scratching the surface right now, as a going-to-be-senior, of how good he can be. He is enormous, he’s powerful, he gets nasty. ... With another year with us, and four or five years with you guys, it’s going to be scary to see what could become of a kid with his size and athleticism.”

Michael Herdzik, an MSU electrical engineering freshman who was a defensive lineman at Maine South High School during Jarvis’ sophomore season, said that a number of traits make his former teammate an ideal collegiate lineman.

“I think that he has very good vision,” Herdzik said. “When you’re run blocking, you need to have very good vision to pick up the right guy. His footwork is getting a lot better too. ... Overall, he’s got the right mindset. If you look at the way he plays, he’s hungry, he wants to keep fighting.”

Maine South is one of the top programs in Illinois, as Inserra said they hold the second-best winning percentage of any Illinois high school team in the 21st century. Inserra produced 75 consecutive wins during Central Suburban League-South conference play, and the team has won 15 consecutive conference titles dating back to 2001. Inserra said that his program prepares players for grueling workloads they face at the next level.

“Our guys are extremely well-coached by our entire staff,” Inserra said. “They are coached in the offseason as well, with weightlifting and speed training. They know to work, they know how to put in the time, they know what it takes to achieve greatness, both as a program and as an individual. We challenge them both in the season and in the offseason.”

Herdzik said that Kevin was well-liked by his teammates, even as one of the youngest players on his team.

“He’s a very likable teammate,” Herdzik said. “Once the whistle blows, he’s all business. He’s blocking, he’s mean, he’s a monster. But he’s a very likable guy. You can see it in the weight room. He was doing a huge squat, and all of his teammates came around him, supporting him.”

Another perk of attending a powerful football school is Jarvis has played alongside and against other Division I recruits. This year, he played next to Liam O’Sullivan, a 2016 Syracuse offensive tackle commit.

“The two of them pushed each other to absolutely dominate, which was pretty cool,” Inserra said.

Jarvis has a number of highlights from his two seasons as a starting lineman for Maine South. One of those that stood out to his coach came in a game against Glenbrook South last fall. The clip is embedded below.

“The best one, it’s an incredible block ... he locks on a kid, almost on the right hash mark, and drives him completely across the field, across the hash mark, across the numbers,” Inserra said. “You don’t actually see it, but he actually wiped out two guys and our special teams coach on the sideline. ... It was about a 35-yard block.”

Jarvis said that he has been inspired in the past by watching Spartan lineman Jack and Brian Allen.

“They play the same type of game as me, hard-nosed, wear-you-down type of football, and that’s what I want to be like,” Jarvis said.

Attending the MSU vs. Oregon game this past September helped sway Jarvis towards MSU. Jarvis said he enjoyed the atmosphere in Spartan Stadium during the nationally televised night matchup.

“Just watching MSU come out on to the field, it was something I really wanted to be a part of,” Jarvis said. “I couldn’t turn it down once I got the opportunity to be a Spartan.”

For his senior season, Jarvis has few goals left to achieve. He’s already been named All-Conference and All-State. Inserra said that Jarvis’s next goals are to be named All-American and to help Maine South win its fourth State Championship in nine years.

As for preparing to become a Spartan, Jarvis said he plans to work on his all-around game in preparation for his collegiate career.

“I want to sharpen my whole craft," he said. "Just be a better player and offensive lineman. I’ll work as hard as I can to play wherever I’m needed on the offensive line at Michigan State.”