Michigan State fooball: 2018 Spartan elite camp news, notes

Michigan State football held their elite camp on Saturday. See who turned coaches heads, plus a couple of surprise visitors.

Michigan State football coaches hosted players from all over the United States and even other countries Saturday for their annual elite camp. It gives the coaches a chance to see some of their top targets in a camp setting, as well a discover some talented players off their radar.

The camp was headlined by some great performances from some 2020 instate wide receivers, and featured a couple of visitors that many weren’t expecting to see there.

The 2020 wide receivers were the talk of the camp before the camp, and they didn’t disappoint. The state of Michigan has a very strong group of receivers in the 2020 class, many of them were on campus Saturday working out for the coaches.

Ian Stewart: Stewart is a 6-3.5, 200-pound wide receiver from Gibraltar, Mich. I was able to speak with him to get an update on his performance at camp, and his recruitment with Michigan State. He said he felt he did alright at the camp, but could’ve been even better. In the testing portion he had a 10-5 broad jump, a 4.62 40-yard dash and a 33.5-inch vertical jump.

I asked him to describe his strengths and weaknesses at this point. He told me his strengths are his route running and his physicality at the position. What he wants to improve is his speed, he ran a 4.62 40-yard dash, and would like to have that at a 4.5 by the time he gets to college. Michigan State coaches told him they wanted to review the tape from camp and that an offer could be on the way. The staff likes him at wide receiver, safety and linebacker.

Devell Washington: Washington is a 6-3.5 205 pound wide receiver from Bay City, Mich. The nephew of former Michigan State great Charles Rogers was on campus working with the coaches. I asked Washington what he thought of his performance, he told me he wasn’t happy with his 40 time, but other than that he was happy with his play. He made a lot of good catches during passing drills, and in the 7-on-7. Coaches told him they were going to review the tape from camp and that he should hear from them soon.

Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen: Yaseen is a 6-1, 180-pound receiver from Walled Lake, Mich. I asked him how he felt about his performance at camp, he said he was really happy, and thought he had a good day. When asked to describe his game, he told me he is a very good route runner, and has very good hands. He has good speed and is able to get over top of the defense. Michigan State coaches really like him, and an offer could be close.

Christian Fitzpatrick: Fitzpatrick is a 6-3 190 pound wide receiver from West Bloomfield, Mich. He is coming off an ankle injury, and while not back at a hundred percent he felt he competed and was happy with his performance at camp. His recruitment with Michigan State is going well, and he is very aware that the staff is much more thorough in their process of extending offers. It could be a situation where after the coaches see the first few games his junior year, an offer could come. Fitzpatrick is a big wide receiver who runs great routes, and has great hands.

There were a couple big time 2019 defensive linemen that many people weren’t aware were going to be there. Once people noticed them, a buzz came over the camp from recruiting analysts.

Jowon Briggs: Briggs is a 6-3, 275-pound defensive tackle from Cincinnati, Ohio. The four-star defensive tackle kept his visit quiet from recruiting analysts, but got everyone’s attention quickly when he emerged. Briggs is an athletic and incredibly strong player who does a great job stuffing the run. His athleticism allows him to get a good pass rush, and projects as a three-down defensive tackle in college. The Michigan State football coaches would love to add him to anchor their defensive line.

Next: 2019 NFL Mock Draft: Way-too-early complete first round

Michael Fletcher: Fletcher was on campus playing in a Michigan State basketball camp with his teammates. When he was done he swung by to the football side of things and hung out for a while. He took some pictures in a Michigan State football jersey along with Jalen Hunt who was on his official visit. His June 29 decision is quickly approaching ,and being able to get Fletcher back on campus again was great for the coaches.