Dantonio issues statement on Robertson's signing

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio released a statement on Wednesday regarding the signing of Auston Robertson as an addition to the 2016 recruiting class.

Robertson was arrested in January on battery charges stemming from an incident that took place at his school, Fort Wayne (Ind.) Wayne High, in October. He was accused of improperly touching a female classmate, according to court records.

Robertson agreed to enter a diversionary program on March 16, which can result in the charges being dropped in 12 months if he meets the conditions of the program.

Robertson committed to Michigan State in June over offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame and others, but Michigan State did not give him a letter of intent to sign on signing day, pending Robertson's legal issues.

Dantonio indicated today in a statement released by the university that he has reviewed the situation since its origin in January.

“Our decision to accept Auston Robertson’s signed National Letter of Intent and Big Ten Tender has been evaluated over the last three months while utilizing all resources available to us to thoroughly review his situation,” Dantonio said in a statement released today at 6:30 p.m. “Our relationship with Auston began last summer when he committed to Michigan State. When we accepted his verbal (commitment), we also made a commitment to him and his family.

"We elected not to sign him in early February, and since then he has been accepted into a pretrial diversionary program and must continue to satisfy those requirements. Given all the information available to us, we believe Auston should be provided with an opportunity to begin his education and playing career at Michigan State.”

Robertson is a four-star prospect, ranked No. 2 in Indiana, No. 140 in the nation by Rivals.com. He is ranked the No. 10 strong side defensive end in the country.

SpartanMag.com's Rico Beard reported earlier today news of Robertson's signing:

Robertson's Twitter statements from earlier today:

In signing Robertson, MSU's 2016 recruiting class moves from No. 20 to No. 18 in the Rivals.com rankings: