Oct 12, 2019; Madison, WI, USA; Michigan State Spartans logo on footballs during warmups prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Top MSU OL Target Talks Recent Visit

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Michael France | Last updated Mar 11, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The No. 1 recruiting priority for Michigan State could very well be in-state offensive tackle Gregory Patrick of Portage Northern. A legacy four-star, Patrick checks all of the pipeline boxes and his elite play makes him stand out even more.

Patrick was recently on campus for an unofficial visit and he attended the Spartans' basketball beatdown of bitter rival Michigan for the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.

“It was pretty awesome, the atmosphere is obviously one of, if not the best in the country,” Patrick told SpartanMag's Jason Killop. “It is pretty cool going to a game and the fans are awesome every game, so its pretty neat.

“Basketball is obviously a little different, with the fans right on top of you. Spartan Stadium is pretty loud, but I think the Breslin Center beats it a little bit being basketball. The rivalry game helps a lot too. It was awesome seeing the fans and how loud it was.”

Michigan State took an unorthodox approach to the visit -- it let 2026 East Kentwood (Michigan) quarterback Kayd Coffman, a Spartans commit, connect during the visit.

"We talked a little bit at a game in the fall,” Patrick said. “I like Kayd a lot. He is a really nice guy and he works extremely hard. He is the type of kid who goes and uplifts a programs culture right away.

“I really enjoyed getting to hang out with him. He talked a little bit about why he chose Michigan State, and he just really likes the family atmosphere of it and the feeling and culture around the program. It was cool talking about his experience and watching the basketball game.”

Patrick said that getting to know the players in his class is very important to him, per Killop.

"Especially the guys you are about to be playing with and how they can impact the program.”

It's safe to say Michigan State took significant strides with Patrick on the visit. It needed to, as the No. 16 offensive tackle in the country (per 247Sports) is being heavily recruited by Michigan, Penn State and Notre Dame.

Michael France is Sports Illustrated's Michigan State recruiting beat writer, covering all things Big Ten recruiting for Spartan Nation. Be sure to follow him on Twitter/X@michaelfrancesi for exclusive Spartans recruiting coverage.

This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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