BREAKING: Michigan State Flips Another Top Prospect to Complete No. 1 Recruiting Class
In what has become the defining recruiting story of the 2026 cycle, Michigan State basketball has put the finishing touches on a historic class—though the most significant “flip” wasn’t a player changing his commitment at the last minute, but rather the Spartans flipping the national recruiting rankings in their favor.
**The Five-Star Flip That Sealed the Deal**
The centerpiece of Michigan State’s recruiting surge came on November 14, 2025, when five-star center **Ethan Taylor** announced his commitment to the Spartans. The 7-foot-1, 244-pound powerhouse from Link Academy in Missouri chose Michigan State over finalists Oregon, Kansas, Indiana, and Oklahoma . Taylor’s decision was particularly significant because the Spartans beat out Kansas—the very program they leapfrogged in the team rankings .
With Taylor’s addition, Michigan State vaulted to **No. 1 in the 247Sports Composite team recruiting rankings**, a position Izzo called “phenomenal” and “one of our best recruiting classes in years and years and years” .
**The Class That Came Together**
Taylor’s commitment completed a four-man haul that includes:
– **Ethan Taylor** (No. 23 nationally, No. 2 center): The 7-foot-1 center who measured 7-foot-1.5 in bare feet on his visit, making him one of the tallest Spartans ever .
– **Jasiah Jervis** (No. 38 nationally, No. 3 shooting guard): A 6-foot-4 guard from Archbishop Stepinac in New York whom Izzo compared to former Spartan great Gary Harris for his ability to “guard it and shoot it” .
– **Carlos Medlock Jr.** (No. 66 nationally, No. 7 point guard): A Wayne, Michigan native and Taylor’s teammate at Link Academy who was the first to commit and “rallied the rest of them around him” .
– **Julius Avent** (No. 78 nationally, No. 15 power forward): A 6-foot-7 hybrid forward from New Jersey with a 7-foot-3 wingspan whose father played in the 1989 Final Four at Seton Hall .
**Why They Chose Michigan State**
In an era dominated by NIL deals and transfer portal movement, Tom Izzo’s old-school approach continues to resonate. The Hall of Fame coach emphasized that the program remains “relationship-based” even in a changing landscape .
“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” .
ESPN’s national recruiting director Paul Biancardi noted that Izzo “won’t be outworked for a recruit,” adding that the Spartans’ five transfers over four years is “certainly a low number” that has created “elite stability” in a chaotic college basketball landscape .
**The Football Side: A Different Story**
While the basketball program has enjoyed stability and recruiting success, Michigan State football has experienced the “flipping” drama from the other side. Four-star wide receiver Samson Gash, a Michigan State commit, has been placed on “flip watch” by Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer. Gash is scheduled to visit Tuscaloosa, and questions about Jonathan Smith’s future in East Lansing have fueled speculation that he could flip to the Crimson Tide .
Meanwhile, the Spartans have been active on the football recruiting trail as well, recently flipping three-star safety Jordan Vann from Virginia and three-star safety Brayden Thomas from Iowa State .
**A Class Built to Last**
For Izzo, the 2026 class represents the future of Michigan State basketball. With Taylor anchoring the paint, Medlock running the point, Jervis providing two-way guard play, and Avent offering positional versatility, the Spartans have addressed every need .
“We got all the positions,” Izzo said. “We got a point guard, we got a two guard, we got a guy that can flip a couple positions and we’ve got a true center” .
As the Spartans prepare for the 2026 NCAA Tournament with a Sweet 16 appearance already secured, the program’s future looks just as bright as its present . And while the headline might scream about a “flip,” the real story is how Michigan State built a No. 1 recruiting class the old-fashioned way—through relationships, trust, and finding “their kind of guys” .
