Michigan State Football’s Dillon Tatum Shares Connection With Donovan Edward

Often competing with in-state rival Michigan for the best talent in the state, the Michigan State Spartans have made it their goal to put the Green and White back on top of the pack, and to rebuild a solid Midwest pipeline as a whole.

One of the top in-state recruits that former head coach Mel Tucker landed during his time in East Lansing was four-star safety Dillon Tatum from the 2022 class. Tatum, a product of West Bloomfield, was originally listed as an athlete. He was the No. 12 athlete in the class and the No. 5 player in the state, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Tatum played a key role in West Bloomfield’s first-ever state championship win in January 2021. The Lakers took on reigning Division I state champion Davison and defeated the reigning champions 41-0.

Tatum was a jack of all trades and also a valuable running back. The starting running back happened to be former five-star running back and elite Wolverines running back Donovan Edwards. Edwards rushed for 257 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries against Davison.

Edwards, a class of 2021 prospect, was the No. 4 running back in the class and the No. 42-ranked player nationally. Before Edwards broke out big runs for the Wolverines in big games, he was the key piece to a state championship. 247Sports recruiting expert Allen Trieu praised the ball carrier in his evaluation.

“Looks college ready since his sophomore season. Physically, he will enter college with the ability to compete at the highest level. Complete back who has shown the ability to run between the tackles and generate tough yards and also hit a home run,” Trieu wrote. “Runs with force when he has to… Great pass catcher. Good pass blocker due to strength and willingness to be physical, but still needs to hone his technique there. Has intangibles and has worked his way into some runs and has been important in big moments for his team… Complete prospect who can be a lead back at a top program and an early round draft pick.”

Tatum himself also received high marks from Trieu.

“Probably projects as a nickel corner in college,” Trieu wrote. “Has run track and has had good results and it shows in his straight-line speed, but also his conditioning and ability to play all three phases in high school. Shows good ball skills and has had interceptions from the safety spot. Has short-area quickness and twitch to play man. Physically, he’s not too big, but he’s not too small either. It’s not impossible for a school to give him offensive looks, but he’ll likely play defense and be a special teams player.”

Tatum hasn’t distinguished himself in East Lansing as he did in West Bloomfield, but he will be a vital cog in the Spartans’ defense this fall.

Michael France is Sports Illustrated’s Michigan State recruiting beat writer, covering all things Big Ten recruiting for Spartan Nation. Follow him on Twitter/X@michaelfrancesi for exclusive Spartans recruiting coverage.

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