BASEBALL MSU Baseball falls to Minnesota, losing two out of three in a road weekend series
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Spartans Illustrated - Michigan State falls to Minnesota, loses two out of three in weekend series
MSU Baseball fell to Minnesota, losing two out of three in a road weekend series in Minneapolis.
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TRANSFER PORTAL Portal Watch: Looking at the top 10 QB transfers
- By Adam Gorney
- Spartans Illustrated Message Board
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Aidan Chiles on the list:
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Spartans Illustrated - Ranking the 10 biggest QB transfers of the offseason
Former five-star Julian Sayin signed with Alabama but transferred to Ohio State following the retirement of Nick Saban.
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NEW COMMIT: Portal LB Marcellius Pulliam Commits to MSU
- By Kevin Thomas
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NEW COMMIT: Michigan State gets commitment from 2025 three-star TE Emmett Bork
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Michigan State continues to build its 2025 recruiting class, as class of 2025 newly-minted three-star tight end Emmett Bork committed to the Spartans on Monday. Bork is the second commit for MSU in as many days and gives the football program a total of four pledges as of press time.
More from @Ryan OBleness :
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More from @Ryan OBleness :
Spartans Illustrated - Michigan State gets commitment from 2025 three-star TE Emmett Bork
Michigan State has landed a commitment from 2025 three-star tight end Emmett Bork. He discusses his decision here.
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OTHER SCHOOLS: Iowa WBB HC Lisa Bluder announces retirement
- By Kevin Knight
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MEN'S BASKETBALL Great Osobor’s $2MM NIlL deal
- By ejsiller
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NEW COMMIT: 2025 Macomb LB DiMari Malone Commits: 'I want to be part of' Michigan State
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The Michigan State football program has its third commitment of the 2025 class, as in-state three-star linebacker DiMari Malone committed to the Spartans on Sunday. Malone took to social media on Mother's Day to announce the news.
Michigan State's new regime offered Malone a scholarship back in January and quickly made him a priority. Since then, he's built strong bonds with head coach Jonathan Smith, defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Joe Rossi and others on the staff.
Malone — who currently attends Dakota High School in Macomb, Michigan — believes that Michigan State is going to find a lot of success under Smith, and that he is a great match for Rossi's defense. His comfortability with the program and faith in Smith's vision for the future are some of the reasons why he wanted to become a Spartan.
"I choose Michigan State because of how comfortable I feel when I’m up there," Malone told Spartans Illustrated. "I have been there numerous times to see and understand how they do things. I think I will fit it perfectly."
Much more here:
michiganstate.rivals.com
Michigan State's new regime offered Malone a scholarship back in January and quickly made him a priority. Since then, he's built strong bonds with head coach Jonathan Smith, defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Joe Rossi and others on the staff.
Malone — who currently attends Dakota High School in Macomb, Michigan — believes that Michigan State is going to find a lot of success under Smith, and that he is a great match for Rossi's defense. His comfortability with the program and faith in Smith's vision for the future are some of the reasons why he wanted to become a Spartan.
"I choose Michigan State because of how comfortable I feel when I’m up there," Malone told Spartans Illustrated. "I have been there numerous times to see and understand how they do things. I think I will fit it perfectly."
Much more here:
Spartans Illustrated - 2025 Macomb LB DiMari Malone Commits: 'I want to be part of' Michigan State
MSU has its third commitment of the 2025 class. In-state three-star linebacker DiMari Malone breaks down his decision.
michiganstate.rivals.com
OFF TOPIC: Detroit Tigers have New Alternate Uniforms
- By Kevin Thomas
- Spartans Illustrated Message Board
- 11 Replies
Starting on May 10th and every Friday home game for the remainder of the season, the Tigers will no longer wear their iconic jersey but a dark blue and black jersey with the words 'Motor City' in large white letters across the front.
The cool thing is that the jerseys are so dark that players can wear them home, change the oil on their car, and not show any stains. LOL
www.clickondetroit.com
The cool thing is that the jerseys are so dark that players can wear them home, change the oil on their car, and not show any stains. LOL
Photos of new Detroit Tigers City Connect uniforms and what each part symbolizes
The Detroit Tigers have unveiled their new City Connect alternate uniforms.
www.clickondetroit.com
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Poll
Big Ten post-spring power rankings: Ohio State over Oregon for No. 1, USC lands in top five
- By MSUanalyst
- Spartans Illustrated Message Board
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Here's CBS Sports Post Spring Power Rankings for the Big Ten for the 18 teams. Written by Tom Fornelli.
Discuss and let's see what everyone thinks on the list and of course the Spartans.......
Link is below....there's some other interesting CFB stories on their site as well such as Iowa's Offense with Tim Lester now the OC, OSU AD on UM Cheating, and Brian Kelly on why LSU didn't spend in Portal.
www.cbssports.com
By Tom Fornelli
May 9, 2024 at 2:08 am ET•9 min read
They say there's no such thing as a college football offseason anymore, but I beg to differ. The only thing that's changed is the offseason has shrunk, and we're at the beginning of it as spring practice has wrapped up around the country and the transfer portal window has closed.
While some players continue looking for new homes, college football fans can finally take a breath, for the most part. They no longer have to fear waking up to the news that one of their star players has entered the portal for greener pastures. Instead, they must find ways to fill time between now and when the season starts this fall.
The best way to do that is to rank things and have pointless debates with your friends and enemies alike. That's precisely what I'm doing with these post-spring Big Ten power rankings. You may agree with them, you might not. What matters is that I'm right, and so are you.
Also, as a friendly reminder for those of you who may have been lost at sea for the last 24 months, the inclusion of Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington is not a clerical error. They are members of the Big Ten now. We live in interesting (and absurd) times, don't we?
Big Ten Power Rankings
Discuss and let's see what everyone thinks on the list and of course the Spartans.......
Link is below....there's some other interesting CFB stories on their site as well such as Iowa's Offense with Tim Lester now the OC, OSU AD on UM Cheating, and Brian Kelly on why LSU didn't spend in Portal.
Big Ten post-spring power rankings: Ohio State over Oregon for No. 1, USC lands in top five
Here's how teams in the Big Ten stack up now that spring practice is in the rearview mirror
www.cbssports.com
Big Ten post-spring power rankings: Ohio State over Oregon for No. 1, USC lands in top five
Here's how teams in the Big Ten stack up now that spring practice is in the rearview mirror
By Tom Fornelli
May 9, 2024 at 2:08 am ET•9 min read
They say there's no such thing as a college football offseason anymore, but I beg to differ. The only thing that's changed is the offseason has shrunk, and we're at the beginning of it as spring practice has wrapped up around the country and the transfer portal window has closed.
While some players continue looking for new homes, college football fans can finally take a breath, for the most part. They no longer have to fear waking up to the news that one of their star players has entered the portal for greener pastures. Instead, they must find ways to fill time between now and when the season starts this fall.
The best way to do that is to rank things and have pointless debates with your friends and enemies alike. That's precisely what I'm doing with these post-spring Big Ten power rankings. You may agree with them, you might not. What matters is that I'm right, and so are you.
Also, as a friendly reminder for those of you who may have been lost at sea for the last 24 months, the inclusion of Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington is not a clerical error. They are members of the Big Ten now. We live in interesting (and absurd) times, don't we?
Big Ten Power Rankings
| 1 |  Ohio State |
| While we've seen plenty of teams win the title of "offseason champions" only to fall flat on their face during the season, it isn't likely Ohio State will suffer such a fate. It's very much Big Ten title or bust in Columbus. Hell, it's probably more national title or bust. Ohio State retained most of its key pieces from last season and added to the roster by landing big names in the portal such as Alabama's Caleb Downs and Ole Miss' Quinshon Judkins. Will Howard transferred in at QB but has not officially won the starting job because Ohio State has enviable depth at the QB spot. The only questions are on the offensive line. | |
| 2 |  Oregon |
| Speaking of programs that have had a great offseason, Oregon enters its first season in the Big Ten as a legitimate contender to win the league. Bo Nix has been replaced by left-handed Bo Nix (more commonly known as Dillon Gabriel), and he's just one of the impressive transfers Dan Lanning has landed. There's a strong argument that the Ducks are the second-most talented team in the league and could be the most talented Oregon team of all time. | |
| 3 |  Michigan |
| It may seem unfair to have the reigning national champions ranked third only a few months removed from the parade, but a lot has changed since then. Jim Harbaugh and a large chunk of the coaching staff are gone, as are J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum and nearly every offensive lineman in the 734 area code. Still, there's plenty of talent on the roster entering Sherrone Moore's first season as the full-time head coach, and the Wolverines were able to hold onto a few huge defensive pieces whom some speculated could leave in the portal. There may not be a repeat national title in the cards, but a fourth straight Big Ten title is more likely than many believe. | |
| 4 |  Penn State |
| We could be on the precipice of a new era at Penn State -- one where the Nittany Lions are no longer in the same division as Ohio State and Michigan and could reach the College Football Playoff without winning the Big Ten. Of course, even with that being the case, they're still only fourth in these power rankings behind a new incoming powerhouse program! For the most part, the 2024 version of Penn State won't look all that dissimilar to the 2023 version. The hope is a year of growth from Drew Allar under new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki will be enough to take this team to the next level. | |
| 5 |  USC |
| Last season was a disaster for the Trojans. The team finished 8-5 despite having the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and eventual first pick of the NFL Draft, Caleb Williams. No matter how many miracles Williams pulled off, he always needed one more to overcome a horrific defense. Lincoln Riley has completely overhauled the defensive staff, so we should see improvement there (it'd be hard to be worse), but now the question is: How do the Trojans replace Caleb Williams? | |
| 6 |  Washington |
| I'm putting the Huskies here as a nod to winning the Pac-12 and reaching the College Football Playoff National Championship, but there's a strong argument to be made this is too high. The program has been gutted since that loss to Michigan. Kalen DeBoer left for Alabama and took everything that wasn't leaving for the NFL Draft with him. Jedd Fisch comes from Arizona, where his Wildcats surprised many last season, but it's another transition on top of the transition to life in the Big Ten. It feels like a reset season in Seattle. | |
| 7 |  Nebraska |
| We've reached the portion of these rankings where you can toss these teams into a lottery ball machine, pick a random order and nearly all would be defensible. I'm putting Nebraska at the top not because it's an annual tradition to get Husker fans' hopes up, but because the addition of Dylan Raiola gives this offense a ceiling I'm not sure anybody else in this group has. A lot will have to go right for that to be the case. True freshman QBs typically don't come out guns blazing, but if Raiola lives up to his potential, this team may surprise. At a minimum, it should finally get back to a bowl game. | |
| 8 |  Iowa |
| Most years, I look at Iowa questioning nearly everything about the roster and offensive philosophy before deciding it doesn't matter because the Hawkeyes will figure out a way to win at least eight games anyway. Ironically, I'm not nearly as confident now that Iowa has replaced offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz with Tim Lester. This is not because of Lester, rather it's because last year's third-string quarterback, Marco Lainez, is the only healthy quarterback on the roster right now. There's hope Iowa can land a transfer soon, but for the most part, the QBs remaining in the portal come May are there for a reason. Oh, and superstar punter extraordinaire Tory Taylor is gone. | |
| 9 |  Wisconsin |
| This is an interesting spot for the Badgers. The first season under Luke Fickell had the expected ups and downs that were only intensified by injuries at the QB spot. This season, the Badgers are hoping their offense can take another step with either transfer Tyler Van Dyke or Braedyn Locke. Of course, there's also the question of whether simply being better will be enough because the Badgers have a daunting schedule. They're set to play Alabama, USC, Penn State and Oregon this year with road trips to Iowa and Nebraska also on the slate. | |
| 10 |  Rutgers |
| Is Rutgers a sneaky dark horse in the Big Ten this season? Many are asking! OK, maybe it's only me and a few others asking, but the Knights flew under the radar last season finishing 7-6 and winning the Pinstripe Bowl. And they did it with no passing game of which to speak. Minnesota transfer Athan Kaliakmanis won the starting QB job this spring, and while he may not be a huge upgrade at the position, any production in the passing game could see this program reach the postseason in consecutive years for the first time since 2013-14. | |
| 11 |  Maryland |
| I'm of two minds when it comes to the Terps in 2024. One part of my brain is concerned about Maryland no longer having the Big Ten's all-time leader in passing yards, Taulia Tagovailoa. But the other part says maybe that's not the worst thing? Tagovailoa was a volatile commodity. Perhaps finding a bit more consistency at the position will help. However, whether NC State transfer M.J. Morris is the player to deliver it remains to be seen. | |
| 12 |  Michigan St. |
| It has been an offseason of change in East Lansing, Michigan. There was an exodus of players, as is typically the case when there's a regime change, but the Spartans lost some key contributors on defense to the portal this spring. There's a difference between losing backups and players expected to start. That said, Jonathan Smith has brought a lot with him from Oregon State, including QB Aidan Chiles. As things stand right now, I can see the 2024 season going in any number of directions for Sparty. | |
| t13 |  Illinois |
| Illinois hopes to bounce back from what was a disappointing season internally in 2023 as it failed to get back to a bowl game. Surprisingly, the Illini had one of the better offenses in the Big Ten last year (their 24.2 points per game in conference play ranked fifth), but the defense let the team down. Illinois enters the summer optimistic that the offense can improve on last year, but there are still questions on the other side of the ball as the unit lost its best player, Johnny Newton, to the NFL. | |
| 14 |  Northwestern |
| David Braun pulled off one of the most stunning debuts in the country last season, leading a Northwestern team that was left for dead to an 8-5 record. While Braun got a full offseason to build the program in his image this winter, I wonder how realistic it is to expect an encore. The QB situation is unsettled, and the Wildcats will be playing their home games on their practice field as they await the construction of a new football stadium. We'll see if this team continues to thrive amidst the chaos. | |
| 15 |  Minnesota |
| Last year was the first time Minnesota didn't appear in the AP Top 25 or CFP Rankings at least once since the 2018 season as the Gophers finished 6-7. Was it a one-off after steady improvement under P.J. Fleck or the start of a trend? The hope is transfer QB Max Brosmer can reignite an offense that averaged only 18.8 points per game in Big Ten play last season. On the defensive side of the ball, defensive coordinator Joe Rossi left to join Jonathan Smith's staff at Michigan State, adding a bit of mystery about what we can expect from the Gophers in that department this year. | |
| 16 |  UCLA |
| History suggests that transitioning to a new league is difficult for most, and while there are questions about each Pac-12 newcomer, UCLA is the one in which I have the least confidence. Chip Kelly left to become Ohio State's offensive coordinator and Deshaun Foster is a first-time head coach, though one with plenty of familiarity with the UCLA program. This program lost a lot of key personnel -- on and off the field -- this offseason, and there are too many questions needing answers before ranking the Bruins any higher. | |
| 17 |  Purdue |
| Ryan Walters' first season didn't go as well as hoped. He went 4-8 after inheriting a team that had gone 8-6 in 2022. Then he had to watch as a couple of his best players -- receiver Deion Burks and edge rusher Nic Scourton -- left via the portal. The good news is that Hudson Card is back for his second season as quarterback, and there's belief that a second go-around in Walters' defensive scheme will lead to improvement from a defense that allowed 30.4 points per game. | |
| 18 |  Indiana |
| There is reason to be optimistic about Indiana football. Curt Cignetti's track record at IUP, Elon and James Madison suggests he knows how to build a program. He's brought plenty of key players from James Madison, and the Hoosiers landed one of the MAC's most prolific QBs in Ohio's Kurtis Rourke. There are enough ingredients in Bloomington to make you wonder whether the Hoosiers could be a surprise package this season, but it still feels like a longshot. Somebody has to be ranked at the bottom for now. |
NEW: Ross Dellenger: New college athlete compensation model may cost power schools $300M each over 10 years
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Good piece here by Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports. He highlights new details on a college sports model.
Info on:
“-Scholarship expansion & new roster limits
-$17-22M rev-share cap
-$2.9B~ damages tab
-Deadline: ~40 days
-Implementation no sooner than fall 2025”
Link:
sports.yahoo.com
Info on:
“-Scholarship expansion & new roster limits
-$17-22M rev-share cap
-$2.9B~ damages tab
-Deadline: ~40 days
-Implementation no sooner than fall 2025”
Link:
Sources: New college athlete compensation model may cost power schools $300M each over 10 years
The college sports industry is moving closer an athlete compensation system. At this point, it seems inevitable.
sports.yahoo.com
BASEBALL Michigan State Baseball Travels to Minnesota for pivotal Big Ten series
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MSU series preview against Minnesota by @Caden Handwork
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Spartans Illustrated - Michigan State Baseball Travels to Minnesota for pivotal Big Ten series
MSU Baseball looks to strengthen their Big Ten Tournament hopes against Minnesota this weekend.
michiganstate.rivals.com
NEW COMMIT: In-state 2025 LB Charles White commits to Michigan State: 'I fit perfectly'
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Michigan State's 2025 recruiting class now includes two commits. On Saturday, high-three-star linebacker and priority in-state target Charles White announced his commitment to the Spartans.
White, who often goes by "DJ," currently attends Orchard Lake St. Mary's Preparatory, which is located just about 70 miles east of MSU's campus in East Lansing. He revealed his decision to pledge to Michigan State at St. Mary's during his commitment party and also took to social media to share the news.
Shortly after Jonathan Smith was hired as Michigan State's head coach on Nov. 25, 2023, the Spartans immediately identified White as a prospect they were interested in, and Smith and assistant head coach/co-special teams coordinator/running backs coach Keith Bhonapha offered him a scholarship on Dec. 1, 2023.
Since the offer, White has also grown close with Michigan State defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Joe Rossi and other coaches on the staff.
While White had plenty of college options, he's known that he wanted to become a Spartan for a while now.
“Michigan State just felt like home,” White told Rivals' Greg Smith and Spartans Illustrated. “I went up there during spring practice, I've been up there a couple time, and in the middle of practice I pulled my phone out and I texted my head coach (Jermaine) Gonzales and I told him I want to go here. I told him straight up, I'm not going anywhere else."
Much more on his commitment with many additional quotes here:
michiganstate.rivals.com
White, who often goes by "DJ," currently attends Orchard Lake St. Mary's Preparatory, which is located just about 70 miles east of MSU's campus in East Lansing. He revealed his decision to pledge to Michigan State at St. Mary's during his commitment party and also took to social media to share the news.
Shortly after Jonathan Smith was hired as Michigan State's head coach on Nov. 25, 2023, the Spartans immediately identified White as a prospect they were interested in, and Smith and assistant head coach/co-special teams coordinator/running backs coach Keith Bhonapha offered him a scholarship on Dec. 1, 2023.
Since the offer, White has also grown close with Michigan State defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Joe Rossi and other coaches on the staff.
While White had plenty of college options, he's known that he wanted to become a Spartan for a while now.
“Michigan State just felt like home,” White told Rivals' Greg Smith and Spartans Illustrated. “I went up there during spring practice, I've been up there a couple time, and in the middle of practice I pulled my phone out and I texted my head coach (Jermaine) Gonzales and I told him I want to go here. I told him straight up, I'm not going anywhere else."
Much more on his commitment with many additional quotes here:
Spartans Illustrated - In-state 2025 LB Charles White commits to Michigan State: 'I fit perfectly'
In-state class of 2025 high-three-star linebacker Charles White discusses his decision to commit to Michigan State.
michiganstate.rivals.com
OTHER MSU SPORTS MSU Women's Golf finishes in third in East Lansing Regional, seals spot in NCAA Championships
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Spartans Illustrated - Preview: Michigan State women's golf hosting NCAA Regional in East Lansing
Previewing the East Lansing Regional in the NCAA Tournament.
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RECRUITING 2024 MSU men's basketball PF Commit Jesse McCulloch on Official Visit: 'I love being there'
- Spartans Illustrated Message Board
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Michigan State men's basketball 2024 power forward commit Jesse McCulloch returned to East Lansing this past weekend for his second official visit to MSU.
Differently than football, in men's basketball, a prospect is allowed to complete a second official visit to the same school, as long as those visits occur in different academic years. McCulloch took his first official visit to Michigan State in March, and later committed to the Spartans in April.
This past weekend was "Grind Week" for the Michigan State program. That means several former players returned to East Lansing to connect, work out and attend events with current coaches, players and recruits.
Following the official visit McCulloch detailed the experience with Spartans Illustrated.
McCulloch brought several family members along with him for the trip: his father (Cedric), mother (Laurie), younger brother (Alex), Aunt Melinda and Uncle Dave.
"It was a great trip," McCulloch excitedly said about the official visit. "I loved playing with the recent guys as well as the alumni. I met a lot of great people, a lot of older people with a lot more knowledge of the campus. Talking to all the coaches (was great). I just love being down there!"
Much more here:
michiganstate.rivals.com
Differently than football, in men's basketball, a prospect is allowed to complete a second official visit to the same school, as long as those visits occur in different academic years. McCulloch took his first official visit to Michigan State in March, and later committed to the Spartans in April.
This past weekend was "Grind Week" for the Michigan State program. That means several former players returned to East Lansing to connect, work out and attend events with current coaches, players and recruits.
Following the official visit McCulloch detailed the experience with Spartans Illustrated.
McCulloch brought several family members along with him for the trip: his father (Cedric), mother (Laurie), younger brother (Alex), Aunt Melinda and Uncle Dave.
"It was a great trip," McCulloch excitedly said about the official visit. "I loved playing with the recent guys as well as the alumni. I met a lot of great people, a lot of older people with a lot more knowledge of the campus. Talking to all the coaches (was great). I just love being down there!"
Much more here:
Spartans Illustrated - 2024 MSU PF Commit Jesse McCulloch on Official Visit: 'I love being there'
Michigan State 2024 power forward commit Jesse McCulloch discusses his second official visit to East Lansing.
michiganstate.rivals.com
RECRUITING Jorden Edmonds offer recap
- By Caleb Sisk
- Spartans Illustrated Message Board
- 1 Replies
Spartans Illustrated - 2026 four-star ATH Jorden Edmonds talks MSU offer, his chat with Blue Adams
The Michigan State Spartans recently extended an offer to talented 2026 prospect Jorden Edmonds from Sprayberry High.
t.co
RECRUITING 2025 WR Zo Hill details MSU offer
- By Caleb Sisk
- Spartans Illustrated Message Board
- 1 Replies
Spartans Illustrated - 2025 wide receiver Lorenzo Hill recaps Michigan State offer
2025 Lorenzo Hill from Ryan High School receives a Michigan State offer. H breaks it down here.
michiganstate.rivals.com