GREEN & WHITE FOOTBALL

Hunter Rison hoping to learn MSU playbook as early enrollee

Chris Solari
Detroit Free Press
Hunter Rison is a four-star wide receiver from Ann Arbor Skyline.

Hunter Rison and his father, legendary Michigan State and NFL receiver Andre Rison, talked it over. High school was over for the son. It was time to become a Spartan.

“It was a decision me and my dad made,” Hunter Rison said. “And it’s here now.”

Rison opted to graduate last month from Ann Arbor Skyline to enroll early for spring classes and winter workouts at MSU. The four-star wide receiver will begin college Monday, along with two fellow classmates in tight end Jack Camper and defensive back Josiah Scott.

Michigan State's 2017 recruiting class sticks together, hopes to grow

The 5-foot-11, 197-pound Rison is the Spartans’ highest-ranked in-state recruit by 247Sports.com right now at No. 10. He saw the jump-start that enrolling early gave Donnie Corley a year ago and hopes to follow suit by participating in spring practices and the Green and White game before preseason camp begins in August.

“It was really to have an opportunity to get in there early and be able to learn the playbook before the usual freshmen come in,” Rison said. “That opportunity just excited me, and I was ready. I’m really looking forward to practicing.”

Rison initially committed to MSU after his sophomore season, reopened his recruitment, then recommitted following his junior year and has not wavered. He caught 10 touchdown passes and had more than 700 receiving yards this season for Skyline.

Still plenty of targets for Michigan State's 2017 recruiting class

Come Monday, none of those numbers will matter. He’ll go from being big man on campus to just another freshman, learning about college football and the intensity of head strength and conditioning coach Ken Mannie’s workouts all while discovering what life at MSU is about before much of the rest of his class arrives.

“I can’t wait to get up there with those guys,” Rison said. “They’re a great group of guys — humble and ready to work.”

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari.