Five-star Jackson picks Spartans

Tom Izzo and Michigan State got their 2017 recruiting effort started in a big way on Thursday when five-star power forward Jaren Jackson announced that he'll play his college ball for the Spartans.

A source at La Porte (Ind.) La Lumiere confirmed with Rivals.com that the 6-foot-10 forward has picked Michigan State and Jackson also shared the announcement via his Twitter account.

Ranked No. 15 overall, Jackson is a big time talent with big time upside.

Having grown at least two inches in the last year, Jackson is a big power forward with long arms, a great basketball frame and a high skill level. He's comfortable operating in the low post, he can step out and shoot to the three-point line and he is an excellent rebounder and astute passer out of double teams.

The first member of the Spartans 2017 class, Jackson has as much room to improve and expand his game as any five-star prospect in the country. Particularly notable is how young he is for his class. In an age where holdbacks are common and many high school athletes turn 19 during their senior year, Jackson just turned 17 today and is a full year young for his graduating class.