BREAKING: Michigan State Basketball Lands Five-Star Center Ethan Taylor, Completes Historic No. 1 Recruiting Class
In a major recruiting victory for Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans, five-star center Ethan Taylor has officially signed with the program, finalizing what is now the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation for 2026 . Taylor’s commitment, announced in November 2025, marked the culmination of a recruiting surge that has Spartans fans dreaming of another national championship run .
**The Crown Jewel: Ethan Taylor**
Taylor, a 7-foot-1, 244-pound center from Link Academy in Missouri, is the highest-ranked recruit in Michigan State’s 2026 class . Ranked as the No. 23 overall player in the country and the No. 2 center nationally, Taylor brings elite physical tools to East Lansing, including a 7-foot-3 wingspan and surprising agility for his size .
247Sports recruiting analyst Adam Finkelstein praised Taylor’s potential, noting he is “a rapidly improving big man with elite physical tools” who “runs fluidly, gets off his feet powerfully, and even has some agility” . Finkelstein added that Taylor can “spin-off contact in the post, rise-up for emphatic power dunks, and be a consistent lob threat” .
**Why Taylor Chose Michigan State**
Taylor’s commitment came down to one thing: relationships. During his official visit, Tom Izzo did something Taylor would later describe as the moment he knew Michigan State was home—they made pizza together .
“I heard that he likes pizza, so him and I made a pizza on his visit,” Izzo recalled . The personal touch represented the family-oriented approach that defines Izzo’s recruiting philosophy.
Taylor joins his Link Academy teammate Carlos Medlock Jr. in East Lansing, a connection that helped seal the deal . “What I really love about Ethan is that I think he’s got a personality. I think he has a game that’s going to continuously get better,” Izzo said .
**The Class That Could: Four Elite Prospects**
Taylor is the final piece of a four-man haul that has vaulted Michigan State to the top of the recruiting rankings . He joins:
– **Jasiah Jervis** (No. 38 nationally): A 6-foot-4 shooting guard from New York who Izzo compared to former Spartan Gary Harris—”one of the rare two guards that can guard it and shoot it” .
– **Carlos Medlock Jr.** (No. 66 nationally): A lightning-quick point guard from Detroit who Izzo compared to Kalin Lucas. “CJ is a lightning-quick point guard. He kind of reminds me a little bit of Kalin Lucas as he can really shoot the ball, and I think he’s going to be a very tough defender,” Izzo said .
– **Julius Avent** (No. 92 nationally): A 6-foot-7 hybrid forward from New Jersey with a 7-foot-3 wingspan who can defend multiple positions and shoot the three .
ESPN’s national recruiting director Paul Biancardi called the group one of the nation’s best, noting that each player “brings a different dimension” . After Taylor’s commitment, ESPN updated its rankings to place Michigan State among the top classes nationally .
**Izzo’s Blueprint in the NIL Era**
What makes this class remarkable is how it was built. In an era dominated by NIL deals and transfer portal movement, Izzo has remained committed to a relationship-based approach .
“I think we just came up with one of our best recruiting classes in years and years and years,” Izzo said after the signings . “In this day and age of transactions, Michigan State is still trying to be a relationship-based program. I’m excited that the parents of these kids had just as much influence on our decision as the kids did” .
Biancardi noted that Izzo’s approach “has remained steadfast even in a changing era of big-money high school recruits and the revolving door of the transfer portal” . The Spartans have taken just five transfers over four years—a remarkably low number in today’s landscape .
**What This Means for the Spartans**
With Taylor expected to step in immediately following the departures of Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler, and Jervis, Medlock, and Avent providing elite depth at guard and forward, the Spartans are positioned for sustained success . The class is the program’s first No. 1-ranked recruiting class since 2016, when Izzo landed Miles Bridges, Cassius Winston, Joshua Langford, and Nick Ward—a group that went on to become one of the most accomplished classes in program history .
As the Spartans continue their run in the 2026 NCAA Tournament—having defeated Louisville to advance to the Sweet 16, where they will face UConn on Friday—the future in East Lansing looks exceptionally bright .
