2. Ameer Speed, 3-star CB (Jacksonville, Fla.)
The cornerback position is one of the biggest needs on the team and that’s surprising for a program that was once self-proclaimed as the ‘No Fly Zone.’ Guys like Darqueze Dennard and Trae Waynes came through as underrated prospects and finished up as first-round draft picks — Waynes to the Vikings in 2015 and Dennard to the Bengals in 2014.
Ameer Speed has to look at that success and place Michigan State among his favorites, which he already has. The Spartans made the three-star cornerback’s top-five a couple of weeks ago and he is set to make his decision on National Signing Day as well.
The recent trend for the Jacksonville, Fla., native is Georgia which is closer to home than the Spartans, North Carolina, Oregon and Virginia Tech — the four others who round out his list. The Bulldogs have one of the top up-and-coming programs in the nation, so it’s not difficult to see why he’s intrigued.
One thing working against the Spartans is the fact that his official visit to East Lansing was all the way back in October and he has since visited each of the teams in his top five. Michigan State will hope for a miracle on signing day, but Speed is definitely high on the list of must-have targets.
Speed is ranked the No. 350 overall prospect and No. 41 cornerback in the 2017 class.