Versatile Ohio forward Devin Royal earns Michigan State offer

Michigan State’s search to fill out its next recruiting class is turning to a nearby state and a player on the rise in the rankings.

Devin Royal, a class of 2023 forward prospect from Ohio, reported a scholarship offer from Michigan State on Sunday.

Rivals ranks Royal the No. 102 player in the class of 2023, while 247sports pegs him as the No. 123 player in the country.

College coaches, though, have taken plenty of notice: Royal reported an offer from Wisconsin on Sunday as well as Michigan State, and picked up an offer from Illinois earlier this year after earning one from Ohio State last year.

Royal’s offer came after the second spring evaluation period of 2022, when college coaches were permitted to travel to evaluate prospects.

In his team’s Friday night opening game of the Nike EYBL event in Indianapolis, Royal dropped 28 points, recorded 11 rebounds and had three steals while hitting nine free throws for his team, All Ohio. In six games this season on the AAU circuit, Royal is averaging 15.7 points per game while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and adding 4.8 rebounds per game.

Scouting services describe Royal (6-foot-6, 210 pounds) as a versatile athlete and strong finished around the hoop.

During the high school season, Royal helped Pickerington Central, near Columbus, win an Ohio Division 1 state title by averaging 19.2 points per game and scoring 20 points in his team’s state title game.

Royal joins a small group of players with Michigan State offers in the 2023 class: he’s the first prospect to report a Michigan State offer since October.

Spartans coaches spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday on the road evaluating prospects. Tom Izzo was reported to watch a pair of teams several times during the weekend: George Hill All-Indy, a team that features four-star center prospect Xavier Booker, and The Family, which features Spartans offeree Braelon Green and multiple other prospects.