Michigan State signs 2024 three-star DB Justin Denson, Jr.
2024 Kingston (Pa.) Wyoming Seminary three-star cornerback Justin Denson, Jr. with Michigan State on Wednesday. The 6-foot-0.5, 185-pound Denson committed to Michigan State’s previous coaching staff on July 4.
Denson took visits to Florida and Oklahoma following his official visit to Michigan State during the first week of June. He chose the Spartans over offers from Alabama, Florida State, Notre Dame, Penn State and Texas A&M, among others.
Denson is the No. 797 prospect, No. 85 safety and No. 18 player from Pennsylvania, per the On3 Industry Rankings.
Denson remained solid in his commitment to Michigan State throughout its coaching search, despite an impressive offer list. The Spartans made him a priority early in his recruitment and did not back down as he continued to pick up offers.
Denson has a good relationship with Harlon Barnett, Michigan State’s longtime secondary coach who took over as interim head coach this fall. Newly-hired Spartan secondary coach Blue Adams sealed Denson’s commitment with an in-home visit on Dec. 1. Denson made an official visit to East Lansing the following weekend.
Scouting summary
Denson is a versatile player. He played multiple positions in the secondary throughout high school. He likely projects as a cornerback in college thanks to his impressive coverage skills, but he can lay down a hard tackle at safety, too. Denson is physical at the line of scrimmage and gives receivers very little room to create separation.
Reminds us of
Denson possesses a kind of hard-hitting physicality that is rare in most cornerbacks. Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt had similar qualities as a high schooler in Montgomery, Ala. Taylor-Britt was known for his physicality while playing at Nebraska, and often used it as an advantage against receivers. The Bengals selected Taylor-Britt in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Personal life
Denson was a late bloomer since he played in an often under-recruited part of Rhode Island. But his recruitment took off in April, thanks to offers from Michigan State and others. He was recently invited to the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, which features some of the best high school prospects in the country. Denson has a younger brother.
