EAST LANSING — One of the final holdouts of the 2021 recruiting class for Michigan State made his decision today. Audric Estime, the four-star running back from New Jersey and long-time MSU commit, flipped his commitment from the Spartans and signed with Notre Dame. 

Estime, the No. 12 running back in the 2021 class according to 247sports, was committed to the Spartans since Sept 13. The four-star New Jersey native was considered to be the highlight of coach Mel Tucker’s first recruiting class, along with high school teammate Geno VanDeMark, a three-star offensive tackle. 

Estime ran for 1,857 yards and 22 touchdowns in only eight games in his senior season at St. Joseph Regional High School, creating much excitement for Spartan fans about their signee. Estime moved from being a three-star recruit to a four-star recruit due to his performance, boosting his national profile. 

Notre Dame offered Estime on Tuesday, creating a last-second battle between the Spartans and Fighting Irish for the four-star running back. Estime was one of the few unsigned players of MSU’s recruiting class following signing day on Wednesday, along with VanDeMark and four-star defensive tackle Rayshaun Berry. 

Michigan State added two running backs in this recruiting cycle, three-star Davion Primm from Oak Park and former Auburn running back Harold Joiner III. Joiner is a redshirt sophomore from Birmingham, Ala. Joiner was a top-five running back in the 2018 recruiting class and the No. 133 overall recruit in the class according to 247sports.

Estime is a big loss for the Spartans’ 2021 recruiting class, but the addition of Primm and Joiner III should mitigate the loss. As it stands right now, Michigan State’s 2021 recruiting class ranks No. 33 nationally, according to 247Sports.

Jared Ramsey is a football beat reporter for WDBM Sports. Follow him on Twitter at @jared_ramsey22.