Recruiting Camp Notebook: Michigan State re-offers Detroit King four-star OL Jameer Henry

EAST LANSING, Mich. – While the Michigan State commitment machine was busy cranking out 14 verbals in the first 17 days of June, Spartan coaches and support staff were also busy planting seeds for future classes at the Michigan State Prospect Camp. 

Last weekend, Michigan State coaches watched Detroit Martin Luther King 2027 offensive lineman Jameer Henry participate in drills and one-on-ones. Afterward, Michigan State re-offered the four-star prospect. Michigan State previously offered him in the fall of 2023 when Harlon Barnett was serving as interim head coach. 

Henry was strong, athletic and energetic during Sunday’s camp. He was one of 250-plus participants who took part in drills to hone their skills, and possibly catch the eye of a college coach or two.

“I believe I performed well at the camp, demonstrating my agility and footwork,” Henry told SpartanMag.com via direct messaging. “I was able to execute the drills as planned and received positive feedback from the coaches, which reassured me that I showcased my abilities effectively.”

Henry is ranked No. 264 and No. 4 in Michigan in the On3 Industry Rankings. He has offers from Michigan State, Michigan, Kentucky, Purdue, Mississippi, USC and Tennessee. 

Michigan State offensive line coach Jim Michalczik watched Henry closely, as he did at the Sound Mind Sound Body National Showcase in Detroit on June 1.

“Coach Michalczik said he appreciated my agility and footwork and being coachable when demonstrated during drills at the camp, supported by positive feedback received from the coaching staff,” Henry said.

Sunday marked Henry’s second trip to Michigan State. He visited previously as a freshman.

Henry is the cousin of Michigan State redshirt-junior offensive lineman Kristian Phillips.

“I met up with him and he let me in the locker room and showed me around,” Henry said.

Phillips started the season opener last year for the Spartans, but sustained a season-ending injury. He will compete for a starting job when fall camp begins in July.

 “He said that loves the environment and the coaches and would love for me to go there,” Henry said of Phillips. 

Michigan State has scouted Henry during the spring and summer.

“They have been coming to my practices and camps for real,” Henry said.

Michigan State staff members reached out to Henry to invite him to participate at camp late last week. 

“I told them I was already coming,” Henry said. “I just wanted to see the coaching staff and build a better connection.”

Henry camped at Michigan on Monday. His legs were a little heavy, having worked hard at Michigan State the previous day.

“I was tired but I went through with it and won the MVP Offensive Lineman,” he said. 

Henry says he doesn’t plan to attend any other camps this summer. As for his recruitment, he says he would like to visit Michigan State, Florida, Auburn, Michigan, Indiana, Notre Dame and Alabama in the near future, and possibly for games in the fall.

COMP’S TAKE

Henry has said in the past that he grew up a Michigan fan, but he clearly has no misgivings against Michigan State. Michigan’s offer in November of 2023, two months after Michigan State’s offer, certainly struck a chord with him. But he was merely a freshman back then, with a lot of recruiting laps yet to be run.

He attended practices at Michigan State and Michigan this spring. 

Illinois, Pitt and Vanderbilt have offered in 2025. As for the schools he listed that he wants to visit in the near future, most of them have yet to offer. Henry is still in offer-accumulation mode. At some point, when things begin to settle down, Michigan State should be able to jockey for position, provided that evaluations remain positive. 

Henry has a rotund frame and shows some power. He needs to keep working on his balance and quickness. Michigan State wants offensive linemen who can sprint wide as part of the outside zone scheme. Henry needs to keep progressing during his upcoming junior year as evaluations continue. His character and academics are extremely strong.

AROUND THE CAMP

* On Sunday, Michalczik also took a close look at 2027 graduation year offensive linemen Reed Gerken (6-5, 290, Perrysburg, Ohio) and William Tobin (6-4, 290, Hartland, Mich.)

Gerken has offers from Kentucky, Toledo, Bowling Green, Kent State, Miami of Ohio and Central Michigan. Tobin, who played center at Hartland last fall as a sophomore, has an offer from Central Michigan. It’s uncommon to see o-line prospects play center in high school, but he does it in fine fashion and has some maturity about him. 

Samuel Adjin (6-4, 285, Montreal) impressed SpartanMag with his frame and movement. He plays in the Cegep league in Quebec for CNDF (Campus Notre Dame de Foy). He gained an offer from Eastern Michigan at the Eagles’ camp last week. He also has offers from Alabama State, Samford, Tennessee-Martin and Western Illinois. He is a 2026 who was off the radar until recently. It’s unclear what Michigan State thought of him. Michalczik keeps things very close to the vest, witness last week’s out-of-nowhere commitment from Tristan Comer. 

* Michigan State four-star QB commitment Kayd Coffman participated in Sunday’s camp. He was his usual impressive self, with zip and accuracy – sometimes so much zip that it seemed to stun receivers. The ball just comes out of his hand differently, and more impressively, than is the case with most mortals. He has some tools.

Coffman is enthusiastic about Michigan State as a team and a program. Michigan State was the first Power Four program to recruit him hard, which was a big lift for the Spartans’ chances with him. And since his commitment to Michigan State, the family-style, personable recruiting of Jonathan Smith and his staff have continued to resonate with him. He’s a hot property and Michigan State’s commitment seems very strong with him. 

He had a chance to throw to 2027 wide receiver target Chad Willis (6-2, 185, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s) on Sunday. Willis is a big-bodied guy who can pluck it. Willis is a consensus Top 10 player in Michigan for 2027, with offers from Michigan State, Michigan, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Kansas, Minnesota, Purdue, Wisconsin and others. 

In the old days, Michigan State would have several Spartan commitments at these camps, working with their future assistant coaches, strengthening their bond with Michigan State, and connecting with uncommitted targets and candidates. But now, most rising seniors are doing official visits in May and June rather than attending camps. So there aren’t many senior targets at these on-campus camps.

Camps at Power Four schools are mostly geared toward rising sophomores and juniors. So you don’t get those old situations when an unknown Bennie Fowler shows up and out-performs a four-star WR commitment like Donald Spencer, or an unknown TE Josiah Price shows up and out-performs a TE commitment like Evan Jones. 

However, there still seems to be room in this current landscape for a rising senior commitment to come to camp and connect with his future assistant coaches, and junior targets. Coffman did some of that on Sunday, and I thought it was productive for all parties. 

* Elijah Goins (6-0, 170, S, Macomb Dakota, 2027) had another good day on Sunday. Michigan State continues to watch him closely. His sophomore highlight film checks a lot of boxes. He is a plus hitter, a clean form tackler, can change direction on a dime and plays the ball well in the deep part of the field. On3 ranks him No. 8 in the state for 2027. I haven’t seen official clockings on his speed, but it looks pretty good on film. He looks like four-star material to me. 

Goins has offers from USC, Boston College, Pitt, Maryland, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Purdue and Tennessee.

“I’ve talked to Coach (James) Adams a lot,” Goins told SpartanMag’s Kenny Jordan. “I’ve been up on campus a lot and so it kind of feels like family. They’ve been evaluating me just to see how I am as a person not just an athlete.”

* Defensive end J.J. Fisher (6-3, 208, Cincinnati Moeller, 2028) is an interesting one to keep an eye on. He’s still just a puppy (he turns 16 in seven months), but he has range, frame, athleticism and bend that puts him in the unique category. He was intriguing on Sunday.

“One of the coaches at Michigan State saw him at the Moeller combine, and a few of the Michigan State coaches – Coach Wilt, Coach Legi – came up to us at the (Michigan State) camp and said, ‘We like you,’” said Fisher’s father, Jonathan Fisher. 

West Virginia and Kentucky are showing early strong interest. 

“I’ve always really admired Michigan State,” said J.J. Fisher. 

“He’s always had an infatuation with two schools, out of nowhere, since he was a little kid – LSU and Michigan State,” said Jonathan Fisher. “When we drove around campus, he said, ‘Dad, this looks really, really cool.’”

* One other player who caught our eye was defensive tackle Devin Lillard (6-3, 275, Redford Union, 2026). He was the hardest-working guy on the field, continually cutting lines to take extra reps and giving maximum effort. He has some size, skill and juice. He has offers from Saginaw Valley State, Wayne State and Siena. He might not be a Big Ten prospect right now, but he looks like he can be a program guy for someone, with potential to rise.