Michigan State's Kenneth Walker III avoids a tackle by Michigan's R.J. Moten during his touchdown run during the fourth quarter on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Kenneth Walker's Michigan Game Stood Out in Key Spartans' Recruitment

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The 2021 Kenneth Walker III game against Michigan is probably the most iconic game in recent memory for Michigan State football.

In a year when Michigan began its run to three consecutive Big Ten titles, the Spartans were the one team that got in the Wolverines' way on their way to their first conference championship, and it can be heavily attributed to the efforts of Walker, who scored a remarkable five touchdowns while rushing for 197 yards.

It stands out as one of the most memorable games in the heated rivalry for Spartan fans, but it was also a significant game to Michigan State redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Stanton Ramil, who was in attendance during a recruiting visit.

Ramil was a four-star prospect from Alabama and was right in SEC territory. Despite all the great competition he had seen down South, that Walker game stood above the rest.

"Unreal," Ramil said of the Michigan State gameday experience when speaking to our Hondo S. Carpenter Sr. at Big Ten Football Media Days on Thursday. "I remember when I was getting recruited at Michigan State, I think it was the 2021 Michigan-Michigan State game.

"That year, I had been to the Iron Bowl, I was at Alabama-Tennessee, and a couple other big games. And that 2021 game was the best game I've ever been to. And just seeing that's what the Big Ten's all about, it's unreal. And I'm so excited to be a part of that, I'm so excited to be one of the guys that stayed with Michigan State through the thick and thin and just was able to share that success."

If there was a game you would have wanted a recruit to attend, it was that 2021 Michigan game.

That level of competitiveness has been missing from Michigan State in recent years, but this program is working hard to bring it back, and Ramil will be a critical part of that as he looks to help lead an offensive line that will be vital to the effort.

Ramil and the Spartans will report to fall camp on Monday, with practice starting Tuesday.

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This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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