I think that it is both interesting and notable that MSU has added a pair of players from Wisconsin via the transfer portal: tight end Jaylan Franklin and cornerback Semar Melvin.
Franklin was a part of the 2018 recruiting class out of high school and Melvin was a part of the 2019 recruiting class. This means that both were by-and-large recruited with the help of then Wisconsin director of player personnel Saeed Khalif. As you likely know, Khalif joined Mel Tucker's staff in 2021 and currently holds the title of General Manager/Executive Director of Player Personnel and Recruiting.
So, it i reasonable to assume that this is a level of familiarity between Khalif and these players as well as the thought that he can vouch for them both. These all seem like positives.
But as I think about Khalif, I recall back to MSU's Pro Day this Spring. I had a chance to attend the event and was involved in an interview with him. At that time, he said some interesting things that certainly raised my eyebrows. He is the quote that I pulled out of my archive.
“It’s totally different than what was said about it previously,” Khalif said. “It’s all been positive. I love the diverse climate here. There’s a high energy here. I love the work ethic here. The town is green for real. Campus is green for real, like grass. And I mean this is a wonderful campus experience for any kid that wants to go to college.
“This is where you want your kid to go,” he continued. “If you are looking for the college experience. This gives it all to them.”
The first bolded point is clearly a reference to negative recruiting, and the second bolded point is a pretty clear statement about his current take on the reality of the situation in East Lansing.
From one point of view, it is easy to see how Khalif wound be able to lure kids from Wisconsin to East Lansing. But for the other point of view, I was pretty surprised at the time that a staffer at Wisconsin was hearing such obviously negative things about Michigan State. Keep in mind that the timeframe he was referring to was in the late Dantonio era, where things were pretty quiet. I suppose that one could read into the "high energy" and "work ethic" comments as the things that were "totally different." Perhaps there was a lack of energy at the end of the Dantonio era? That is certainly possible.
But the point that I have is that negative recruiting is a very real thing. I would argue that a lot of the noise around topics such as "tunnel-gate" is essentially a form of negative recruiting from our friend down in Ann Arbor. Coach Tucker and MSU had some serious swagger over the summer. But scandals (and losing) has contributed to the lack of recruiting momentum heading into the home stretch. Right or wrong doesn't matter when the narrative is controlled by others... but I digress.
Anyway, food for thought.
Franklin was a part of the 2018 recruiting class out of high school and Melvin was a part of the 2019 recruiting class. This means that both were by-and-large recruited with the help of then Wisconsin director of player personnel Saeed Khalif. As you likely know, Khalif joined Mel Tucker's staff in 2021 and currently holds the title of General Manager/Executive Director of Player Personnel and Recruiting.
So, it i reasonable to assume that this is a level of familiarity between Khalif and these players as well as the thought that he can vouch for them both. These all seem like positives.
But as I think about Khalif, I recall back to MSU's Pro Day this Spring. I had a chance to attend the event and was involved in an interview with him. At that time, he said some interesting things that certainly raised my eyebrows. He is the quote that I pulled out of my archive.
“It’s totally different than what was said about it previously,” Khalif said. “It’s all been positive. I love the diverse climate here. There’s a high energy here. I love the work ethic here. The town is green for real. Campus is green for real, like grass. And I mean this is a wonderful campus experience for any kid that wants to go to college.
“This is where you want your kid to go,” he continued. “If you are looking for the college experience. This gives it all to them.”
The first bolded point is clearly a reference to negative recruiting, and the second bolded point is a pretty clear statement about his current take on the reality of the situation in East Lansing.
From one point of view, it is easy to see how Khalif wound be able to lure kids from Wisconsin to East Lansing. But for the other point of view, I was pretty surprised at the time that a staffer at Wisconsin was hearing such obviously negative things about Michigan State. Keep in mind that the timeframe he was referring to was in the late Dantonio era, where things were pretty quiet. I suppose that one could read into the "high energy" and "work ethic" comments as the things that were "totally different." Perhaps there was a lack of energy at the end of the Dantonio era? That is certainly possible.
But the point that I have is that negative recruiting is a very real thing. I would argue that a lot of the noise around topics such as "tunnel-gate" is essentially a form of negative recruiting from our friend down in Ann Arbor. Coach Tucker and MSU had some serious swagger over the summer. But scandals (and losing) has contributed to the lack of recruiting momentum heading into the home stretch. Right or wrong doesn't matter when the narrative is controlled by others... but I digress.
Anyway, food for thought.
