The Michigan State Spartans have begun their recruitment work for the 2026 high school class. Head coach Tom Izzo landed a promise from four-star guard Jasiah Jervis last week and now sets his sights on a new target. Four-star center Ethan Taylor is Izzo’s next target; he’ll announce his commitment on November 14th.
Taylor will choose between Michigan State, Kansas, Oregon, Indiana and Oklahoma as his final five schools. The seven-foot center grew up in Shawnee, Kansas, approximately 15 miles from Lawrence, where the Jayhawks play. However, On3’s prediction machine views the Spartans as overwhelming favorites for Taylor, giving Michigan State 90% odds.
Across the last week, Michigan was the top state searching “college basketball recruiting” according to Google Trends and “Ethan Taylor” was a breakout search. The Link Academy product could be primed to join Izzo’s already strong 2026 recruiting class. Aside from Jervis, Michigan State has already received commitments from four-star point guard Carlos Medlock Jr. and four-star forward Julius Avent.
Izzo would love to add Taylor as a literal and figurative centerpiece for his 2026 class. As for his competitors, the Jayhawks already have four hard commits from the class, one of those being a center (four-star Davion Adkins). All of Oregon, Indiana and Oklahoma currently have open center slots, but it’s impossible to predict how college rosters might look in over a year.
Taylor’s fit with the Spartans
But Michigan State makes sense for Taylor, as plenty of productive college and NBA big men have come through East Landing and the 2026 class’s second-ranked center could follow in those footsteps. He could aim to join the likes of Jaren Jackson Jr., Xavier Tillman, Draymond Green and Zach Randolph in the pros, but the Spartans have rostered plenty more excellent college bigs.
In 20 EYBL games this summer playing for MoKan Elite, Taylor averaged 9.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. He led the 17u EYBL circuit in field goal percentage (75%) and ranked ninth in rebounds per game. His size, athleticism and strong hands let Taylor function as an effective rim roller, finisher, post-player and shot blocker. He’s an underrated passer with the processing powers to pass from the short roll and kick out to shooters from clogged paints.
Taylor might not boast one-and-done NBA talent, but Izzo often prioritizes playing older players and letting freshmen develop on the bench. That could be the case for Taylor if he ends up committing to the Spartans on November 14th. A year or two of development and adjustment to the college game could make Taylor a potent and productive two-way center and a possible NBA prospect down the line.
