Five-star 2026 center Ethan Taylor commits to Michigan State men's basketball

After landing a commitment from four-star shooting guard Jasiah Jervis last Wednesday, Michigan State men's basketball has kept the momentum rolling by earning the commitment of five-star center Ethan Taylor in a big recruiting win for the Spartans.

Taylor chose the Spartans over fellow finalists Indiana, Kansas, Oklahoma and Oregon. He recently took official visits with all of these programs, while also canceling one to Kentucky after visiting Michigan State. Sources tell Spartans Illustrated that Oregon was MSU's biggest competition in the final stages of Taylor's recruitment, but Izzo and the Spartans were able to win out.

With the addition of Taylor to the 2026 class, he joins Jervis, four-star power forward Julius Avent, who committed to MSU in early October, and his Link Academy teammate, four-star point guard Carlos Medlock Jr., who pledged to the Spartans in July. Taylor will be immediately able to sign with the Spartans as the early signing period runs from Nov. 12 to Nov. 19.

Taylor is a 7-foot-1 prospect who is rated as the No. 2 center in the 2026 class, according to both Rivals and 247Sports. He is ranked as the No. 23 overall prospect in the class, according to the 247 Composite rankings, and comes in at 24th overall in the Rivals Industry rankings. Both sites rank him as a top-two player in the state of Missouri as well.

According to 247Sports, Michigan State men's basketball currently has the No. 1 recruiting class in 2026.

This commitment comes after Taylor officially visited Michigan State from Oct. 2 until Oct. 4, during the same time as the "Michigan State Madness" event and the Izzone Campout, with Taylor participating in both events. Taylor was joined by Medlock, who was also on his official visit, as MSU head coach Tom Izzo and his staff aimed to make the final push for his commitment. 

According to the 247 Composite, Taylor is the eighth-highest-rated player to ever commit to the Spartans, and the second-highest center. Taylor has a different game than fellow five-star center Xavier Booker, who signed with the Spartans and played two seasons with MSU before transferring to UCLA this past offseason. Taylor is a true, back-to-the-basket big that Michigan State has lacked for quite some time. 

Despite his massive frame, Taylor is quick on his feet and able to use his dribble to get to his spots. He possesses a quick first step that allows him to beat defenders and creates easy looks at the basket. While his presence will mostly be felt near the basket, he also has the ability to hit shots from the mid-range and utilize his quickness in the pick and roll. 

Defensively, Taylor is a menace as well, as he gives Michigan State a true rim-protector that it likely hasn’t seen since Jaren Jackson Jr. With this commitment, MSU will have the true high ceiling, traditional center that it has not had for quite some time.

This recruitment was hotly contested, as several other schools were after him in addition to his finalists. Taylor had offers from Kentucky, Purdue, Texas and Tennessee, amongst numerous others.