Jeff Borzello
Paul Biancardi
Paul Biancardi
Basketball Recruiting
National Recruiting Director for ESPN.com
18 years of coaching experience at Division I level
Former Horizon League coach of the year at Wright State
Top-35 senior Ethan Taylor announced his commitment to Michigan State on Friday, likely vaulting the Spartans into the top three of the 2026 recruiting class rankings.
Tom Izzo’s program hosted Taylor for a visit in early October, gaining control of the momentum in the big man’s recruitment.
“When I was looking for a school, Michigan State checked all my boxes,” Taylor said. “The fanbase is amazing and I can feel the immense amounts of love from them; they treated me like I was a part of the team on my visit.”
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“I was on my visit for Michigan State Madness and the Izzone was insane,” he added. “The fans were chanting my name, and it was surreal.”
Taylor’s relationship with Izzo was the deciding factor for Taylor, who chose the Spartans over Kansas, Oregon, Indiana, Oklahoma and others.
“Coach Izzo is incredibly passionate, and he really cares about his team and treats the players like his family,” he said. “He’ll push you to be the best you can be while holding you accountable but also loving on you. The culture he’s created where all the former players come back and workout with the team for ‘Grind Week’ is cool. It says a lot about him as a coach and the staff. The players welcomed me with open arms. The program has been so successful including Final Fours and a national championship.”
Michigan State entered the early signing period with the No. 6 class in the country, consisting of SC Next 100 prospects Jasiah Jervis (No. 50), Julius Avent (No. 70) and Carlos Medlock Jr. (No. 89). With Taylor now in the fold – and as the class’ highest-ranked commitment – Michigan State likely rises into the top three of the class rankings.
The No. 3 center in the 2026 class and the No. 32 prospect overall, Taylor has steadily improved over the course of the last year. He’s coming off a summer in which he averaged 9.4 points and 8.8 rebounds for MoKan Elite on the Nike EYBL circuit, shooting better than 69% from the field.
Taylor runs the floor with effort and coordination, rebounds with consistency and will block shots and protect the basket with his size, frame and alertness. With his back to the basket, he looks to make and maintain contact with defenders to duck in or drop-step his way to finishing. Either in the open floor or off a teammate’s penetration, Taylor is a lob threat with steady hands and a powerful vertical leap.
He should help replace Michigan State’s outgoing frontcourt players in 2026-27, as starting bigs Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper are both seniors.
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