Max Bullough Leads Recruiting Push as Michigan State Offers 3-Star Safety Henry Sakalas

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Another hour, another offer.

They’re coming in hot and heavy, and here at Roundtable Sports, we’re doing our best to keep up with the wave of scholarships being sent out by Michigan State.

The latest player to receive an offer from the Spartans is Illinois safety Henry Sakalas.

Sakalas plays for Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park, Illinois, and currently measures in at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds.

He’s listed as a three-star safety with a 247Sports rating of 87. That ranking places him as the No. 100 safety in the 2027 recruiting class, as well as the No. 34 overall prospect in the state of Illinois.

His composite score currently sits at 0.8700, which ranks him No. 842 nationally, the No. 87 safety in the class, and the No. 30 overall player out of Illinois.

Sakalas is a big-framed safety who immediately catches your eye on film. He has a knack for putting himself directly in the path of passes and runners, making life difficult for opposing offenses.

His fearless style of play is exciting to watch. Time and time again, Sakalas lowers the boom on opposing ball carriers with ease. Some of the hits he delivered during his junior season looked like they would’ve made the controller vibrate if you were playing Madden.

Not only is his tackling ability top-tier, but his frame also gives him tremendous leverage in pass coverage. That especially shows up on deep balls, where he high-points the football well and uses his size and strength to overpower opposing receivers at the catch point.

Michigan State joins a growing list of schools that have extended an offer to Sakalas. That list includes Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, West Virginia, Army, Central Michigan, Air Force, Toledo, Miami (OH), Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, and more.

Sakalas already has visits lined up with Minnesota on May 29 and Illinois on June 5. With Michigan State extending an offer on Wednesday, May 13, it would not be surprising to see the Spartans work quickly to get an official visit scheduled as well.

Michigan State also sent some major names to help lead the recruiting push.

Both co-defensive coordinators, Joe Rossi and Max Bullough, played a role in extending the offer and recruiting Sakalas. The Spartans are not treating this recruitment lightly. Rather than sending only a position coach, they’re sending the two leaders of the defense — coaches who bleed green and white — to make their pitch and show how serious they are about bringing Sakalas to East Lansing.

Bullough’s involvement is especially interesting. While he serves as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, Sakalas shows plenty of versatility on film. Even when he lines up closer to the line of scrimmage at linebacker, he still plays with the same aggressive, downhill mentality that stands out in the secondary.

There are flashes in Sakalas’ game that resemble the physical style Bullough himself once played with at Michigan State. You can tell why the Spartans would want him in East Lansing, and why Bullough would love the opportunity to help mold him into a future standout in the program.

Time will tell where Sakalas ultimately lands, but Michigan State has officially thrown its hat into the ring.

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