Spartans in Exclusive Group for Recent Pro Drafts

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Tom Cavanaugh | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 1:15 PM ET

There were only four schools in the entire nation that had at least one player selected in each of this year's NFL, NBA and NHL drafts, and the Michigan State Spartans were one of this exclusive group. Funny enough, each of the four teams that qualified for this all came from the Big Ten.

Credit to the following post for identifying the schools:

The state of Michigan man pic.twitter.com/3zIWeetLRj
— Chloe (@chloe_jankowski) July 1, 2025

Michigan State, Michigan, Penn State and Wisconsin were the aforementioned schools. This helps to prove the point that the Big Ten is the universal feeder conference for professional athletes across all sports.

Former Spartan star freshman guard Jase Richardson leads the way for MSU as the No. 25 overall pick in the NBA Draft. MSU winger Shane Vansaghi was selected in the second round (No. 48 overall) in last week's NHL Draft.

Lastly, former Spartan offensive tackle Luke Newman went to the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the NFL Draft. Pure, consistent production and greatness from the Spartans' athletic programs as they maintain a steady flow of professional talent throughout each program.

MSU may also become the only school to add another player to the MLB Draft and could stand alone as the only school to have draft picks in four different pro drafts. Spartan lefty pitcher Joseph Dzierwa is a projected top-100 pick for the upcoming MLB Draft and should go in the second round.

This could be a common occurrence for the Spartans in years to come. They have always been heavily involved in annual drafts across multiple sports, but things are picking up steam as Michigan State is becoming a notorious hotbed for future professional draft selections.

Tom Izzo's program could have a couple draftees next year, Adam Nightingale's star-studded hockey roster is certainly going to pull some draft selections and Jonathan Smith's football squad should produce some prospects as well.

The aforementioned stat proves how well-rounded the Big Ten is across all three sports. All four schools consistently compete at the top of their respective sport and find ways to develop their players into next-level talent.

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