Meet 5 prospects Spartan fans should get to know

By Vince Ellis/Detroit Free Press

The U. can hardly believe that the start of the college football season is only four months away.

And you guys know football is never far from the U.'s mind.

And when Wichita Falls (Texas) quarterback Shavodrick Beaver pledged his allegiance to the Maize and Blue earlier this week, we got to thinking about football even more.

The Wolverines now have seven non-binding commitments to the Class of 2009. And the Spartans have major inroads in state with six.

Now and through the summer is a key time for colleges to evaluate recruits.

So the U. decided to check in with two experts (one for Michigan and one for MSU) to get the 411 on five rising seniors.

First up this week is our boy Jim Comparoni, the publisher of spartanmag.com.

We'll get to Michigan's list next week, and we are warning you right now that some names will appear on both lists. But the U. thinks it's interesting see how the two schools might have entirely different views on the same prospect.

The U. knows Comp from our days back in Lansing, and Comp had a lot to say about five prospects Spartan fans should keep an eye on.

WR/TE Dion Sims, Orchard Lake St. Mary's, 6-5, 230

Already has offers from Michigan, MSU, Iowa and Purdue, and get this -- Ron English is recruiting him at Louisville. Also a major basketball player.

Comp: "At his height and his frame, it looks like he's on schedule to be an excellent football player if he wants to be."

WR Cameron Gordon, Inkster, 6-foot-2, 200 pounds

MSU has competition from Iowa and Michigan for the receiver who transferred from Melvindale.

Comparoni: "He's a big target and big receiver. He needs to show he has breakaway speed, and he will have a chance at camps this summer."

WR James Jackson, Grand Ledge, 6-0, 175

Michigan is considered the favorite to land him, but MSU and Iowa are intensely pursuing one the fastest guys in the state.

Comp: "Early indications are that MSU's not the leader; he has major speed as a slot back. But we see him as a wide receiver ."

S Shamari Benton, Birmingham Brother Rice, 6-0, 195

Has Mid-American Conference offers, but MSU has yet to pull the trigger.

Comp: "Size is not ideal, but when you watch him play, you get to see him up at the line of scrimmage and he gets off blocks well."

TE Reid Fragel, Grosse Pointe South, 6-8, 240, TE

MSU has competition from Michigan, Ohio State and Cincinnati.

Comp: "He seems cognizant of playing with low pad level. Although he's 6-8, I've seen him get under smaller people."

(Please excuse Comp's football talk. He means the cat can block folks despite looking like Shaq to most of us.)

Anyway, we'll check in with TheWolverine.com's Josh Helmholdt next week.

HEADED TO CENTRAL: In case you missed it, Oak Park's Marcel Dubose is headed to Central Michigan. He plans to join CMU's football team as a walk-on.

The U. talked to Dubose several times this season, and he was adamant that he was going to play football wherever his destination.

Looks like it worked out for him.

Prep Football

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