Mich. St. commit facing battery charge, reopens recruitment

Defensive end Auston Robertson, a four-star recruit and the No. 1 recruit in the state of Indiana, tweeted Wednesday that he was re-opening his recruitment.

Robertson has been verbally committed to Michigan State and was set to be the Spartans' fourth-best prospect in the 2016 class, according to Rivals. Per the Detroit Free-Press, Robertson is facing a misdemeanor charge of battery in his hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The incident allegedly occurred on Jan. 13.

It's important to note that recruits can sign with teams after National Signing Day, so if Robertson's legal issues are the holdup in his official commitment to Michigan State, he can still sign with the school if the charges are dropped later in February or the case is resolved another way. And this isn't the first time that Michigan State has had to play the waiting game with a high-profile defensive lineman recruit recently.

Malik McDowell, a five-star defensive lineman in the clas of 2014, verbally committed to Michigan State. But he didn't sign with the Spartans on National Signing Day in 2014 despite having a ceremony because his mother didn't initially approve of his commitment. McDowell later said in April of 2014 that he signed with the team and has become an important contributor to MSU's defense. We'll see if Robertson signs late with the Spartans too.

For more Michigan State news, visit SpartanMag.com.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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