Renaissance Pipeline Gushing with Talent; Thomas next to be Tapped

Written by: Guest Author on 23rd June 2009

Greg Jones will enter the 2009 season as one of the best linebackers in the Big Ten. The best linebacker recruit in the state of Michigan, Chris Norman, committed to MSU last year. Max Bullough, the best backer for the 2010 class in the Great Lakes State, is already in MSU’s fold.

With so much recent success attracting and developing iron-shouldered tacklers, thinking MSU has a shot at the best 2011 linebacker prospect in Michigan is reasonable. But when understood within the context of recent recruiting developments, saying MSU is a lean is probably being charitable to the Green & White’s rival programs.

If there is a high school approaching what could be considered a pipeline to Michigan State, it’s Detroit Renaissance. Pipelines sometimes exist only as an overused phrase, uttered by fans and journalists alike, meant mostly to reinforce a diehard’s optimism or fill space to meet a reporter’s word count.

But Renaissance, which has offered MSU Norman and Dana Dixon in 2009 and Mylan Hicks for next year’s class, is fast becoming a feeder school to MSU. And the next standout linebacker on MSU’s radar is Renaissance’s Lawrence Thomas, who will be a junior next season, the latest Phoenix talent to catch the eyes of MSU coaches.

“Lawrence is also going to be in that class of extremely talented kids,” Renaissance coach Antonio Watts told Spartan Nation, comparing Thomas’ talent level to former Phoenix player and current NFL’er Carson Butler. “Lawrence is going to be a monster by the time he’s a senior. He has the body, he has the strength, he has the desire.”

If Mylan Hicks is anything like the Renaissance players who went before him, he’ll be working to convince his 2011 teammate to follow in his footsteps to MSU.

“I had a lot of trips up there (to MSU) with Chris and Dana,” Hicks explains about his own recruitment to MSU. “When I get up there, those guys will already be settled in and I’ll just be battling for my spot, and possibly LT (Lawrence Thomas) next year.” His former teammates helped recruit him, Hicks said, and he plans on contributing to the cause when it comes to Thomas, although he remains aware that each young person must make an independent decision.

“LT, he’s going to be a great athlete, I’ve been with him since his freshman year. He’s a beast, he’s already got the size. When he fills out his frame and becomes more athletic,” Hicks said, “I think he’s definitely going to be a national prospect.”

But beyond the magnetic draw of former teammates, Watts points to MSU’s efforts recruiting Detroit schools as a bonus for the MSU program, unlike the previous Spartan coaching regime.

“What Coach Dantonio has done, he has come down here, he’s put on coaching clinics … and he had told us in our gym that he wants the state of Michigan to be Michigan State’s.” When it comes to the next great talent coming out of the Motor City, Watts’ assessment is similar to Hicks’, saying LT will be “a special kid” who shares a mutual interest with the school on the banks of the Red Cedar.

“He could be a big time national prospect,” Watts said of Thomas. “But, you know, I tell you, he’s already looking at Michigan State.”