MSU football Head Coach Mel Tucker speaks during a timeout in a basketball game between MSU and Maryland at the Breslin Student Events Center on Feb. 15, 2020.
—Michigan State University football coach Mel Tucker received his first verbal commitment from three-star Oak Park, Michigan High School running back Davion Primm.
Primm made his announcement April 7, via Twitter, only one day after he was offered a second scholarship from the Spartans.
His post read:
"First off I would like to thank God for blessing me and being by my side through this process!"
"I want to give a huge amount of gratitude to my family and mentors. A BIG thank you to Coach Greg Carter, the Oak Park staff, all my coaches who taught me the game I love, and my teammates for the bond that we share, and the highs and lows we've endured."
"I would also like to thank all the coaches that thought highly of me to afford an opportunity to continue my academic and athletic career at their university."
"With that being said, I am officially committed to Michigan State University."
The six-foot, 201-pound back was a top target for Tucker's Colorado staff as well. Tucker's move to Spartan territory only solidified his choice faster.
"I feel like he's a great coach," Primm said. "They had a good system over there."
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the retirement of Mark Dantonio in February, Primm's decision was unnatural. He told the Detroit Free Press that he has never spoken to Tucker or met any new members of the coaching staff face-to-face.
Despite the circumstances, Running Backs Coach William Peagler still managed to snag the Oak Park native purely on trust.
"It's always been my dream school, ever since I was little," Primm said.
Primm had offers from Mid-American Conference schools and another Power Five offer from Iowa State.
"(They're going to) see a great work ethic ... him ... attempting to improve in all areas of his game," Oak Park Head Coach Greg Carter said of the young man he's watched play for the last two years.
Primm said he's determined to recruit others to bear the green and white alongside him.
During his junior season, Primm rushed 95 times for a total of 1,123 yards and 10 touchdowns, along with 10 receptions for 156 yards.
In an evaluation by 247Sports recruiting analyst Allen Trieu, Primm was described as a solidly built, sturdy back that shows good vision, balance and patience.
Trieu said Primm projects as a reliable Power-5 Starter and compared him to Baltimore Ravens running back Kenneth Dixon. He is ranked as the No. 95 running back recruit in the nation.
"He's done everything we've expected him to do," Carter said. "He came in working really hard, trying to get a position on our team. We have been blessed with a lot of really good running backs, so he had to work extremely hard to get an opportunity and he's done that."
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Carter said that he's excited for Primm and his family and that this opportunity is something the athlete really deserves. "Good things happen to good people," Carter said.
MSU has since received two other commitments: local product offensive tackle Ethan Boyd, a three-star from East Lansing, and defensive back Gabe Nealy from Gulliver Prep in Miami.
