Mark Dantonio just signed his lowest-ranked recruiting class since 2008.
And if you’re just looking at the composite rankings, the numbers point to a dispiriting trend for the Michigan State football program.
After an eight-year run of solid-to-good classes in which MSU ranked no lower than fifth in the Big Ten, apart from 2011, Dantonio's recruiting has been slipping each of the past three years.
This isn’t surprising. The Spartans aren’t winning. And winning helps recruiting.
None of this means that this year’s class won’t produce a handful of difference-makers. Nor does it mean that those players — linebacker Darius Snow, perhaps or offensive guard Dallas Fincher or receiver Terry Lockett — won't become the foundation of Dantonio’s final act.