Spartans land Detroit Crockett star Tony Lippett

Spartans land Detroit Crockett star Tony Lippett

BY MATT DORSEY
FREE PRESS SPECIAL WRITER

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio got some good news Thursday when Detroit Crockett star Tony Lippett committed to the Spartans.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder will play wide receiver for the Green and White.

Lippett has played quarterback the last two years for Crockett and put up very respectable numbers as a passer and a rusher. But catching the ball is where his future is most promising. Lippett grew up playing receiver in the Detroit Police Athletic League, so the transition to the position should be an easy one.

The last few weeks, Lippett has been wowing scouts and recruiting analysts at regional events. In April, he attended the Badger Sports 7-on-7 tournament in Columbus, Ohio. That event featured all-star teams from Midwestern states competing against each other. Lippett was one of the most productive wideouts there, often the go-to receiver for Team Michigan.

A few weeks later, Lippett attended the Nike camp at Penn State. That one features many of the best players from the Midwest and the East Coast. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Mike Farrell had this to say after seeing Lippett in action: “He was outstanding in drills, his feet were great, he ran good routes. I thought he was the best wide receiver out here."

In addition to his exceptional size, Lippett is very fast. He has clocked a 100-meter time of 10.8 seconds and routinely runs the 40-yard dash in the 4.5-second range.

Lippett's commitment to the Spartans fulfills coach Dantonio's desire to recruit the state -- and especially the Detroit area -- as thoroughly as possible. Spartan assistant coach and Detroit native Dan Enos served as the primary recruiter of Lippett.

Lippett becomes the second commitment to Michigan State for the class of 2010, joining Traverse City linebacker Max Bullough.

Matt Dorsey is a recruiting analyst for spartanmag.com and rivals.com