MSU scores points with Detroit RB Mangham during Monday visit

Spencer Brown wasn’t the only 2019 standout who came away from Monday’s visit impressed with Michigan State.

Jaren Mangham, a Rivals.com four-star running back who has a strong chance to be ranked among the top five players in the state for the class of 2019, took in the Spartans’ opening practice of the season.

Brown committed to the Spartans during his visit. Michigan State isn’t necessarily on the cusp of getting a commitment from Mangham, but the Spartans helped their chances with a good morning and afternoon with the Detroit Cass Tech ball carrier.

“(I) don’t have a list of favorites,” Mangham said, “but MSU is definitely one of the schools at the top, whenever a list may come out. (I’m) just taking it all in and looking for the best fit.”

Mangham took time to congratulate Brown on his commitment, via Twitter:

Mangham has offers from Michigan State, Oregon, Colorado, Washington State, Duke, Maryland, Missouri, Pitt, UCLA, Kentucky, Syracuse, Illinois and others.

He has visited Alabama, Georgia, Duke, Clemson, LSU and Colorado, among others. He camped at Colorado.

Mangham has visited Michigan State several times, but Monday’s visit was a bit different.

“I got a chance to see how Michigan State runs their practice,” he said. “I thought it went great and it’s always great to see Coach D and Coach Staten.”

Mangham’s father, Artie - who was an all-league inside linebacker at Bowling Green in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s - has known Staten since the two were standout players in the Mid-America Conference. Staten played at Miami of Ohio during the same era when the elder Mangham starred at Bowling Green.

That relationship has helped open the door for Michigan State with Jalen Mangham, a big, hard-running, quick-cutting, willful ball carrier who scored 13 touchdowns for Cass Tech’s Division I state championship team in 2016.

“MSU feels like family and my relationship with Coach D and Coach Staten keep me wanting to come back,” Mangham said.

When asked what it is about Michigan State that makes the program feel like family, he said: “The way Coach D and Coach Staten talk with the players and also my dad’s relationship with Coach Staten.”

Mangham made standout plays as a running back and as a pass-catching H-back last year as a sophomore. He will take on more of a feature back role in 2017 with Cass Tech, which is expected to be among the top teams in the Midwest again this year.

“I expect big things from my team and myself this season,” he said.

What do Michigan State coaches say they like about him?

“My size, power and speed and how well move my feet in the hole,” he said.

Mangham played varsity football as a freshman at Sylvania (Ohio) Southview before transferring to Cass Tech during the second semester of his freshman year.

Mangham said he has no other summer visits scheduled at this time, but he plans to visit Michigan State for the Notre Dame game on Sept. 23. He plans to make a decision on a college prior to the end of his junior year and he plans to enroll early.