Three-star safety Justin Denson Jr. commits to Michigan State: 'They showed that I'm really a priority'

For most of his recruitment, Providence (R.I) La Salle Academy three-star safety Justin Denson Jr. thought he was going to commit to Florida. Then he took an official visit to Michigan State.

That official on June 23 opened Denson Jr.’s eyes as he announced his commitment Spartans over Alabama and Florida Saturday afternoon.

“They showed that I’m really a priority to them and a must-get guy,” Denson Jr. told On3. “It was also the most fun I ever had on a visit. It was really family-like, they told me the plans they had for me and everything I liked.”

Denson Jr. noted that Florida told him that he would be a big get for them and could make their class better, but to him it felt like Michigan State needed him. He said that feeling of being needed instead of just being wanted made him feel more important.

The trip to East Lansing was the third for Denson Jr. and he said that the Spartans have been after him since the moment they extended him an offer. That day he said they wanted him to commit.

Denson Jr. opted to instead keep that offer on the table and get the full recruiting experience. In the end though, he was drawn back to the Spartans.

“They knew that I was going to blow up the way I did,” said Denson Jr., the No. 654 player in the 2024 class. “They thought that I was a sleeper in this class and stuff. I wanted to play in the SEC but the Big Ten is the next best conference especially with USC and UCLA joining.

“It’s going to be streamed just as a much so everyone will get to see me play. In the end it was a win-win-win situation.”

Being a need for Mel Tucker sold Denson Jr. on the Spartans

Denson Jr. was originally set to take his official visit to Michigan State the first weekend of June but that was later rescheduled to later in the month.

Before he headed back to East Lansing he visited Florida and Oklahoma. Prior to his official with Michigan State, Denson Jr. even told the Spartans’ coaching staff that Florida was leading for him.

Despite that, they remained steadfast for him and did what they could to bring him back on campus before the month came to an end.

“They canceled other guys’ officials for me to come back and made sure they didn’t take anyone else,” Denson Jr. said. “They changed their board around multiple times even when I said Florida was leading. That group never quit recruiting me.

“I had a top five with Oklahoma in it too and Oklahoma made a good impression on my official there but Oklahoma is far. From a comfortability standpoint financially, emotionally, academically, just the whole package, Michigan State showed they could take care of me the most.”