Rising Virginia LB eager for visit to MSU

When the football recruiting contact period resumes on Jan. 12, Michigan State will resume its pursuit of one of the top athletes on the Spartans’ wish list for 2017: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.

Owusu-Koramoah, a rangy, agile, stock-on-the-rise linebacker from Hampton (Va.) Bethel High, committed to Virginia in October. He re-opened his recruitment to take additional official visits after the season ended.

Owusu-Koramoah has scheduled an official visit to Michigan State for the weekend of Jan. 20.

“I just want to kind of compare my options out and make sure about things,” Owusu-Koramoah said. “I’m committed right now to the University of Virginia. If I get a different feel when I go to Michigan State then I don’t want to go somewhere like UVa and say, ‘Aw man, I could have went to Michigan State.’

“I want to make sure UVa is 100 percent the best school for me and if not then Michigan State … I want to compare all my options.”

Owusu-Koramoah is ranked the No. 34 player in Virginia by Rivals.com, but runs, defends the pass, tackles and has the athleticism of a four-star recruit.

Get a load of this highlight of his from the basketball court last weekend:

Owusu-Koramoah is also planning to take an official visit to Missouri in January.

“We haven’t set a date yet, but it will be some time in January,” he said. “Missouri and Michigan State are probably the next two officials I will take.”

Owusu-Koramoah is listed at 6-2, 188 in the Rivals.com database, but is listed at 6-3, 200 in his school’s program.

“Last fall I was probably 6-1,” he said. “Now I’m 6-2 or 6-3. I just turned 17 and my doctor says the plates are still moving and I still have some growing to do.”

He played safety earlier in his career. He played mostly at outside linebacker and middle linebacker during his senior season and put good use to his long arms, strength and agility in defeating blocks, eluding blocks and finishing tackles with explosiveness.

His background as a safety served him well in covering quick receivers in the slot area, and he has the size to tussle with tight ends. He stands out on film with his ability to finish plays in the backfield, changing direction with smoothness and quickness and finishing with power.

He liked the move to linebacker this fall even more than he anticipated.

“Linebacker is a fun position, especially when you come off the edge,” he said. “You can get the crowd involved when you hit the quarterback or you get a pick in the slot, or reading the quarterback, it’s really an exciting position.”

He has had only one in-home visit, and that was with a Virginia assistant coach.

“As soon as the dead period ends, I’ll probably have another one with Virginia,” he said.

Michigan State and Missouri have not yet had in-home visits with him. However, coaches from those schools visited his high school during the most recent contact period, as did Michigan.

“(The University of) Michigan has been to the school,” he said. “Coach (Brian) Smith came to one of our basketball games.”

Virginia has also scouted one of his early-season basketball games.

Is he planning to visit the Wolverines' campus?

“We’ve talked about it but we haven’t set anything in stone,” he said.

Michigan State is recruiting Owusu-Koramoah for the ‘star’ linebacker position. His background as a defensive back, meshed with his growing frame and senior season as a quick, long, physical linebacker, makes him natural fit for the hybrid position.

“They (Michigan State coaches) said I have a trigger,” he said. “They think I’m a big hitter and a trigger as in being able to change speeds easily and they say I’m a competitor and athletic.

"Michigan State definitely has a chance. I really like Coach Dantonio, Coach Burton and Coach Tressel and all the coaches. I really feel like they bring a lot of energy to the table and have a lot of experience of winning so they definitely do have a chance.”

He said Virginia likes him as a Sam linebacker.

“They (Virginia coaches) say I’m very athletic and I’m able to play a lot of different positions on defense and they say I can tackle well,” he said. “They like that I’m an honest man and of good character, a Godly man, I’m strong in my faith and they like that I’m humble.”

He has yet to see the MSU or Missouri campuses, but isn’t anticipating a difficult decision at this time.

“I leave that in God’s hands and whatever signs he gives me and wherever he needs me at, I’ll make my decision,” he said.

First-year Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall has told Virginia commitments in the past that if they visit elsewhere, he will re-open their scholarship slot. It remains to be seen whether he will do that when Owusu-Koramoah takes more visits.