Michigan State recently offered wide receiver Xavier Stinson, per his post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The 2026 prospect is the No. 113 player at his position, per 247Sports, and the No. 73-ranked prospect in the state of Florida. Stinson is 6-foot-2, 185 pounds.
He fits the bill for the physical prototype of wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins, one of the foremost recruiters in the country of the position.
As I previously reported, Hawkins does not get due credit for his prowess of finding recruits and developing them over the course of their time in East Lansing.
I wrote the following:
“The recruiting hub of 247Sports has a page that is dedicated to ranking the best recruiters in the country. Recruiters in college football are typically position coaches and — you guessed it — they recruit their position group.
“The highly ranked coaches on the list belong to Power Four schools. Typically, they belong to blue bloods. Lots of NIL money to offer, program consistency, and a proven track record. Cultural fit and system fit play a role, too.
“Nowhere near the top of 247Sports’ list will you see Michigan State wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins. In fact, for the Big Ten conference alone, he ranks 49th.
“Hawkins doesn’t typically pull in the four- or five-star recruits, blue-chippers who are already labeled as potential NFL talents. Yet that track record of his makes him Michigan State’s most valuable asset on the recruiting trail.”
Stinson isn’t a blue-chipper, but the Vero Beach product carries 12 offers and the most recent is that of Indiana, a rising star in the Big Ten Conference.
The Spartans, and Hawkins, want true football players. Gamers who study the game and want to compete help foster a healthy environment in and out of the locker room. Toughness, grit, and skill are the hallmarks of recruiting in the Jonathan Smith tenure early on.
Stars don’t matter on a recruiting profile, but tape and character do. Trust that Hawkins sees something special in Stinson, and the Spartans will begin to apply pressure as official visit season approaches fast and things start to truly heat up.
Michael France is Sports Illustrated’s Michigan State recruiting beat writer, covering all things Big Ten recruiting for Spartan Nation. Be sure to follow him on Twitter/X@michaelfrancesi for exclusive Spartans recruiting coverage.
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