EAST LANSING — Michigan State is expected to officially welcome Curtis Blackwell to its new recruiting coordinator/director of player personnel position on Friday, MLive.com has learned.

The Spartans have been working on the hire throughout the summer.

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio discussed the position during his appearance at the Big Ten Football Media Day at the Downtown Hilton Hotel in Chicago last week.

"We're in the process of making that hire,'' Dantonio said, at the time unsure what Blackwell's title would be.

"Director of high school relations, director of college scouting, off-campus recruiting coordinator,'' he said, asked what the official title might be.

Blackwell was Dantonio's top choice from the start, having shown his skills as a talent evaluator, a positive leader and one who could establish positive relationships while running the "Sound Mind Sound Body" camp in the Detroit area each summer.

In June, more than 800 high school players and 15 Division I coaches -- including Dantonio, Ohio State's Urban Meyer and Michigan coach Brady Hoke -- attended the ninth annual camp at Southfield High School.

Blackwell went from Detroit Martin Luther King High School to attend Hampton University, where he earned a degree in sports management. From there, he earned a full scholarship to Baylor University where he received a master's degree in sports administration.

Dantonio explained how Blackwell's duties might shake out.

"They (Blackwell) can't coach, but they are a liaison,'' Dantonio said. "You have so many different avenues of high school football; 7 on 7 camps, different camps led by different people, there has to be knowledge of who's who, it's relationships, it's client lists.''

Michigan State quarterbacks coach Brad Salem has held the title of recruiting coordinator on the Spartans' staff, and will still work closely in recruiting.

"Brad Salem does a great job, however, recruiting has become so insiderish,'' Dantonio said. "You're recruiting a younger player now, you're on guys that are 10th graders. It' the knowledge of who's coming, and it's being able to stay abreast.

"It's `who are we recruiting in 2015 and 2016, who's coming up from the little leagues.' ''

Dantonio concluded that the recruiting cycle has become accelerated.

"A guy like Noah Jones, we recruited out of Dillard (High School, Florida), last year at this time going in at 225 pounds and comes out of the season at 265,'' Dantonio sad. "He goes from being recruiting by North Carolina Central, to bumped up to Valdosta State, to Cincinnati, and in a two-week period of time, he's being recruited by Tennessee and Michigan State.

"You need to stay ahead of the curve as best as you can.''

Michigan State has not formally confirmed the hire at this time, and Blackwell was not available for comment.

Reporter Rico Beard of SpartanMag was the first to report the pending hire, using his twitter account Thursday morning.

MLive.com confirmed the hiring through an independent source who asked not to be identified because they do not have the authority to speak on the subject.