Two-sport star Drake Harris chooses Michigan State over Michigan
One of the top football and basketball players in the state has made his decision.
Grand Rapids Christian standout Drake Harris, a member of the class of 2014, reportedly announced at his school Wednesday that he'll be playing both football and basketball at Michigan State.
Harris chose the Spartans over both Michigan and Notre Dame.
Two-sport star Drake Harris, a Grand Rapids native, chose Michigan State over Michigan and Notre Dame on Wednesday.
Katie Greene | The Grand Rapids Press
The 6-foot-4, 180-pound Harris had offers to play both basketball and football at Michigan State and Notre Dame, per Rivals.com.
Harris had a football offer from Michigan, but, according to TheWolverine.com, he did not have a basketball offer.
Michigan basketball coach John Beilein presently has offers out to Rivals.com Top 50 prospects Devin Booker (No. 31), Keita Bates-Diop (No. 39) and Trevon Blueitt (No. 47).
Harris is rated as Rivals.com's 46th-best basketball prospect for 2014.
Nick Baumgardner covers Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2514, by email at nickbaumgardner@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @nickbaumgardner.
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Comments
rocco
Fri, Jun 29, 2012 : 7:49 p.m.
Izzo loves former (and current) football players for their toughness (e.g., Cleaves). Beilein has a tendency to recruit soft, compliant players who in the end underachieve (e.g., Horford, Christian, McLimans). The class of 2012 follows the same mold, except for McGary who we hear is a banger. Let's see if this translates to the Big 10/12.
Doug
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 7:37 p.m.
Drake a had a choice of three fine schools. He just didn't choose the best one. He'll do fine!
a2grateful
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 7:17 p.m.
Totally agree, braggslaw: Drake Harris is a great kid from our home state. Best wishes for great future success, Mr. Harris!
D21
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 7:06 p.m.
Yawn !...Move on people, nothing to excited over a little brother wanna be.
braggslaw
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 1:48 p.m.
I guess I don't understand the hate. By any measure he is a great kid and he made the best decision for himself. Leave the kid alone. I wish him well.
MRunner73
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 11:32 a.m.
Glad he didn't choose Michigan because he thinks he can be great in two sports. Didn't work for Drew Henson that well. Besides that, I agree with an earlier post that this kid will settle on one sport, sooner than later. The only two sport options for college football players in the run indoor track as the season ends before spring practice. Denard did it in the freshman year and Troy Woolfolk did run a few meets in outdoor track as well a year earlier. Since then, the football coaches frown on running track because of injury risk, mainly hamstring for the sprinters. Anyway, good luck Sparties with this kid..no your not back in recruiting game. I am glad that Michigan tried to force his hand by making one choice, which he didn't...good luck to Drake.
SalineBob
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 4:40 p.m.
Matt Trannon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Trannon
treetowncartel
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 4:26 a.m.
Sounds like he wants to play for Izzo and try and catch some passes. Izzo is a great coach, if he takes advantage of tutilage he will benefit. Can't say the same about Dantonio, he gets baited into little brother comments by players when he should just pass.
Mohawk
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 3:42 a.m.
no offense -- but grand rapids talent is weak at best
RocknRolla
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 8:04 p.m.
I find this comment very offensive. Great talent in Grand Rapids, often overlooked by both schools
RocknRolla
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 8:02 p.m.
What about David Harris, what about Joe Staley, what about Todd Herremans?? 3 NFL players who are very good and from Grand Rapids area
Commoncents
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 10:13 a.m.
Is this sarcasm ? An entire city ? You should be a football analyst.
boo
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 3:38 a.m.
not a huge loss for Michigan. we have great players here and some great players coming in too. I've seen him play, and he is very good. Not sure if he will eventually settle on football as it seems to be his better sport.
Engineer
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 2:47 a.m.
And we care about someone who does not want to be a leader and best? I think not. This is truly a non story. I hope the kid has a good life and enjoys the many parties in spartyville. Is sad he did not care about getting an actual education but then not everybody can make the grade! GO BLUE!!!!
Engineer
Fri, Jun 29, 2012 : 2:08 a.m.
Liger you are 100% WRONG!
Liger
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 1:02 p.m.
I am 100% certain that Engineer didn't graduate from UofM. Another Wal-Mart Wolverine comment.......
a2contrarian
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 10:20 a.m.
Or perhaps he should go to Ohio State given the comparison of their FB player majors to UM's.
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 2:18 a.m.
my gut prediction he won't be playing 2 sports by his junior year. Maybe by his sophomore year.
Terry Star21
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 1:47 a.m.
It's pretty obvious the kid wanted to play mostly basketball, being the nations #2 recruiting class in basketball and the #1 in football - Michigan simply had no room for him. He took the only offer he really had and now will be trying to catch Michigan for many years. rnich231 is hilarious ......lol.
Liger
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 1:01 p.m.
Commoncents......Read Drake's own quotes from his press conference. He said that Beilein was about to officially offer him in basketball. Please don't use the excuse that he chose MSU b/c Michigan didn't offer him a basketball scholarship. Truth is that Drake has had a bond with Izzo since 8th grade, and we all know that Izzo gets what he wants.
Commoncents
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 10:12 a.m.
I think he meant there was no room on the basketball team.... which is true. Beiline didn't offer him. Good get for MSU football though.
MSU-1
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 2:59 a.m.
lol.. what is this guy smoking... hahahhhahahahahhhh... UM had no room--hahahahahahhahahh.... made may day!!!
B2Pilot
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 1:26 a.m.
It is hard enough to play 1 sport in college let alone 2 especially if you are expecting to play significant minutes in big games Good luck to RNich231 What are you talking about?
joggin
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 8:43 p.m.
Matt Trannon had a nice career in FBall and BBall, a guy named Gidson had some pretty good years in BaseBall and FBall and Brad Van Pelt played FBall, BaseBall and Basketball before going on to be an all pro linebacker in the NFL...
rnich231
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 12:03 a.m.
HUGE loss of recruiting momentum for UM now that MSU has the best in state prospect for 2014 for football. Pendulum has officially swung back into MSU's favor.
umgoblue47
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 12:45 a.m.
it's to early to see who will win the 2014 recruiting war, but coach HOKE has out-recruited sparty for the last two year's and the pendulum swing and momentum is still in MICHIGAN'S favor and i don't see that changing. DRAKE look's like a great pick-up for sparty in both BB and FB, but one recruit does not make a team. GO BLUE!!!!!!
Nic
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 12:25 a.m.
Ya huge loss. You know since he will play all 11 positions and dominate everyone of them. Looks like msu is gonna be going for crystal in 2014-18 huh? Ha
garrisondyer
Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 12:24 a.m.
sarcasm?
Paul R Lamse
Wed, Jun 27, 2012 : 11:58 p.m.
Good luck to you, DH! As a UM fan, if he checks out both UM and MSU, and chooses MSU, he's definitely not a "Mich Man". We'll do ok.
Craig Lounsbury
Wed, Jun 27, 2012 : 11:53 p.m.
you win some you lose some. It will be interesting to see how much playing time he gets in each sport.