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4-star WR Antonio Gates Jr. announces commitment to Michigan State

By Brad Berreman

Dearborn Fordson receiver Antonio Gates Jr. runs against Belleville defensive back Deshaun Lee during the first half in Belleville, Friday, Sept. 25, 2020.
Dearborn Fordson receiver Antonio Gates Jr. runs against Belleville defensive back Deshaun Lee during the first half in Belleville, Friday, Sept. 25, 2020. /
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Four-star recruit wide receiver Antonio Gates Jr., son of future Hall of Famer Antonio Gates, has announced his college commitment.

Future Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates went from playing basketball at Kent State and undrafted to NFL stardom. His son Antonio Gates Jr., a four-star recruit out of Dearborn (MI) Fordson High School in the 2022 class, has announced his commitment to attend Michigan State.

Michigan State happens to be the first school the elder Gates enrolled at to play basketball, and hopefully football. So it’s coming full circle in some way with Gates Jr., who was originally offered by the Spartans mere months after Mel Tucker took over as coach in April of 2020.

He made visits to campus in April and June before announcing his commitment Monday.

Antonio Gates Jr. is a big addition to Michigan State’s recruiting class

247 Sports Composite Rankings has the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Gates Jr. as the 293rd-best player in the 2022 class, the 45th-best wide receiver and the eighth-ranked player in the state of Michigan. He had interest from a long list of schools, according to 247Sports, including offers from Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Penn State, Ole Miss,  Iowa State and West Virginia. But he chose Michigan State, and Tucker, as he’ll become the school’s third in-state commitment in next year’s class. Gates Jr. spoke highly of Tucker and how the Spartans’ receivers were deployed last season, in particular, Ricky White as a true freshman.

“Serious man, and all about business,” he said of Tucker in October. “And of course that’s a coach I want to play for.”

“They utilize their receivers right, they had one of the top freshman receivers in the country last year and they’re just a good program overall,” Gates Jr. said in April.

As a junior last season, Gates Jr. had 10 touchdowns and 750 yards on 30 receptions. He also had three interceptions on defense last season, but it looks like his college future will be as a wide receiver.

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