The Spartans aggressively targeted Columbus standout Lawrence Kanneh, offering the explosive sack specialist his first Power Four opportunity to bolster East Lansing’s defensive front with raw, disruptive power.
The Michigan State Spartans have been doing their best Oprah Winfrey impression lately as they continue handing out offers left and right.
“You get an offer, you get an offer, you get an offer!”
Pat Fitzgerald and his staff are doing everything they can to set the program up for long-term success. The Spartans have been aggressive on the recruiting trail, extending offers to players who fit the mentality and toughness the coaching staff is trying to build in East Lansing.
The latest player to receive an offer from Michigan State is a massive edge rusher with quick feet and natural strength.
Edge rusher Lawrence Kanneh stands at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, hailing from Columbus, Ohio, where he currently plays at Whitehall-Yearling High School.
Kanneh has now received eight offers, but Michigan State marks his first Power Four offer. The other schools that have extended offers include East Carolina, Kent State, Akron, Miami (OH), Appalachian State, Marshall and South Florida.
It’s no surprise that Kanneh has started to attract attention from programs around the country, and it likely won’t stop anytime soon.
Kanneh finished his junior season with 60 total tackles and an eye-popping 12.5 sacks. Of those 60 tackles, 23 came behind the line of scrimmage. He also showcased his awareness and athleticism by recording two pass breakups while forcing three fumbles on the season.
Watching his highlights, you can immediately see the natural instincts he possesses for the game of football. In the run game, his strength jumps off the screen. He sheds blockers with ease and drags down ball carriers charging downhill at full speed, sometimes with just one hand. At times, it looks like he’s swatting flies.
His twitch and burst look promising, though there’s still room for development in that area. However, his bull rush and overall power already look advanced for a player at his age. The raw strength department appears to be off the charts.
Kanneh capped off his junior campaign by earning First Team All-CBL honors as well as All-District recognition.
The Spartans coach leading the charge in Kanneh’s recruitment has been Winston DeLattiboudere, who at this point probably feels more like an auctioneer than a defensive line coach with how active he’s been on the recruiting trail.
Michigan State is clearly placing a heavy emphasis on intensity in the trenches. To succeed in the Big Ten, teams need difference-makers up front on both sides of the ball, and Fitzgerald’s staff appears determined to build that foundation early.
The reality is that Michigan State is not going to consistently out-recruit programs like Ohio State or Michigan when it comes to star rankings and national headlines. That’s simply the current landscape of college football.
The transfer portal can help accelerate a rebuild, and programs like Indiana have shown just how successful that strategy can be. Still, Fitzgerald seems to be putting significant emphasis on developing incoming young talent rather than relying solely on the portal every offseason.
If the Spartans are going to compete with the speed and skill talent of the conference’s elite teams, they’ll need to win in the trenches to level the playing field.
That’s why Fitzgerald has leaned heavily on DeLattiboudere to help shape the future of Michigan State’s defensive line room.
Landing a player like Kanneh, alongside the recruits who have already committed to Michigan State and the many others who continue receiving offers from the Spartans, could prove extremely impactful for the future of the program.
The blueprint for success has already been laid out by watching Fitzgerald’s Northwestern teams throughout the 2000s and 2010s.
Build the trenches. Develop the trenches. Win the trenches.