Talk about kicking off the 2018 class with a bang.

That’s exactly what Michigan State did on Friday.

The Spartans were in the running for four-star 2018 athlete Xavier Henderson, who had offers from seemingly every B1G school. But Henderson didn’t pick his home-state Buckeyes. He elected to go north, but not to Ann Arbor.

Henderson announced his commitment to Michigan State:

The Pickerington, Ohio native is the No. 7 player in Ohio and the No. 11 athlete in the 2018 class. Mark Dantonio’s first commitment in the 2018 class was a big one.

Dantonio is coming off his best recruiting class since he joined MSU in 2007. His 2017 class is also ranked No. 27 heading into the meat of the recruiting season. Perhaps a commitment like Henderson will open more doors for the 2018 class to grow.

Undoubtedly, Henderson will still be recruited by the likes of Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and others.

He plans on attending MSU’s home showdowns against Michigan and Ohio State.