EAST LANSING, Mich– Michigan State football has picked up its fourth commitment in its 2023 recruiting class. 

Excited to announce my commitment to Michigan State University!

Thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way! I am thankful for my trainers @TheStrengthU @pvstrength and all the other coaches who gave me an opportunity to play at their programs! It’s time to chop🪓🪓🪓 pic.twitter.com/tXjoN95CtG

— Andrew Depaepe 4⭐️DE (@AndrewDepaepe2) February 2, 2022

Wednesday afternoon, four-star defensive lineman Andrew Depaepe announced his commitment to MSU. He is Michigan State’s highest-ranked out-of-state commitment in the last seven years. Depaepe is also set to be the program’s highest-ranked recruit since 2019, and therefore the highest-ranked recruit to commit during head coach Mel Tucker’s tenure.

Depaepe, a 6-foot-5, 245-pound defensive lineman from Bettendorf, Iowa, announced his commitment on Twitter following a visit to East Lansing the weekend of Jan. 29. A majority of Depaepe’s recruiting process was handled by new defensive ends coach Brandon Jordan, who put the Spartans on Depaepe’s radar after he was hired.

Depaepe, along with fellow 2023 commits Johnathan Slack Jr. and Brennan Parachek, were among 28 other recruits visiting for Michigan State’s second junior day, dubbed “The Spartan Odyssey”. Across football and men’s basketball, MSU hosted 31 total recruits with 14 four-star recruits, six three-star recruits, eight unranked prospects, and one preferred walk-on target. 

Depaepe currently plays at Pleasant Valley High School and is rated as a four-star recruit by 247Sports. He is ranked as the No. 134 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class. In addition, he is ranked as the No. 19 defensive lineman and the No. 2 player from Iowa, according to the recruiting service.

He has received 13 total offers to date, all from Power Five conference schools. Those schools include Iowa, Iowa State, Nebraska, Michigan, Indiana, Kansas State, Washington, Arizona State, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Minnesota.

247Sports’ National Recruiting Analyst Allen Trieu has compared Depaepe to Oakland Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby.

Trieu classifies Depaepe as a pass-rusher who “gets off the ball quickly, shows the agility to bend the corner, does a nice job with his hands as a pass rusher and can get to the quarterback.” He also describes him as “having the length to get into passing lanes and be disruptive.”

Depaepe is the fourth recruit to commit to Michigan State along with four-star running back Kedrick Reescano (New Caney, Texas), three-star offensive lineman Johnathan Slack Jr. (Detroit, Michigan), and four-star tight end Brennan Parachek (Dexter, Michigan).

With Depaepe set to join the class, MSU’s recruiting class is now ranked as the No. 8 recruiting class in the nation by 247Sports.