On the field, this has been a rough season for the Michigan State Spartans. It will take a miracle for the Spartans to get to a bowl game while fans are starting to bet against Michigan State when using online sportsbooks with optimism around the program quickly fading, especially amidst the scandal surrounding fired head coach Mel Tucker. However, interim coach Harlon Barnett is still making roads on the recruiting trail with Michigan State recently earning the verbal commitment from Murfreesboro, Tennessee cornerback Keshawn Williams.
Williams becomes the 10th member of Michigan State’s class of 2024 and the first player to pledge to the Spartans since April. That’s a good sign for a program that’s been surrounded by controversy and uncertainty since Tucker was fired in September amidst sexual harassment accusations. Williams cited his relationship with Barnett, who was recruiting the corner while serving as MSU’s co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach before Tucker was let go, as a big reason for his commitment to the Spartans.
“Just the communication me and Coach (Barnett) have been having,” Williams explained. “Barnett is my guy...I'm real comfortable with my decision.”
When Williams heads to East Lansing next summer, he won’t be going alone. His high school teammate at Riverdale High School Jaylen Thompson has also committed to Michigan State. Thompson is also a cornerback who made a verbal commitment to Michigan State last December. He’s stuck by that commitment despite Tucker being fired and Barnett having the interim tag. In fact, it was while Michigan State coaches were visiting Thompson that they were introduced to Williams and started recruiting him as well. Thanks to Thompson, Williams felt comfortable committing to Michigan State despite not yet taking an official visit, something he plans to do in December.
In Williams, Barnett and the Spartans hope they have found a diamond in the rough. The 6’2’’ cornerback wasn’t on the radar of other major-conference programs. His only other offers were from Georgia Southern and FCS programs Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, and Tennessee State.
However, there are good reasons why Williams has flown under the radar. He only moved to Murfreesboro prior to his sophomore year. His original intentions were to focus on basketball. While he joined the football team, Williams didn’t see much of the field as a sophomore. A knee injury then kept him sidelined for his entire junior season.
With the knee injury behind him, Williams has come back strong and healthy for his senior season. Thus far, he’s registered 31 tackles, four pass break-ups, and an interception while playing cornerback during his senior season. As a wide receiver, he’s caught 37 passes for 557 yards and 11 touchdowns. Those numbers and his game film convinced Barnett and his staff that Williams can play at the next level.
Since the Michigan State staff was able to meet Williams through Thompson, they were able to evaluate his film and offer him a scholarship before any other power-conference programs could catch on to him as a rising prospect. It’s given the Spartans some much-needed momentum and a potential steal on the recruiting trail while also changing Williams’ outlook on everything. After being all-in with basketball a few years ago, he’s now preparing himself to be a college football player at a major program.
"I never saw myself playing big-time football (three years ago),” says Williams. “This is a dream come true after everything I've been through with my knee and everything. I worked my tail off every day.”
