Michigan State football transfer portal comes full circle for Jonathan Smith

Maliq Carr and Sam Leavitt are leaving.

After a weekend visit, Aidan Chiles and Jack Velling might be on their way back to East Lansing.

Michigan State football fans are optimistic. Oregon State fans are shattered. And it’s no one’s fault.

Not Carr for saying Monday afternoon he would finish his remaining eligibility elsewhere, or Leavitt for picking Arizona State.

Or new Spartans coach Jonathan Smith for looking to reunite with young players he recruited to follow him from the West Coast.

Michigan State tight end Maliq Carr reacts after scoring a go-ahead touchdown during the second half against Indiana, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Bloomington, Ind.

But the tales of two quarterbacks and two tight ends likely heading in opposite directions tell the story of college football in 2023.

Which looks nothing like when Smith took over at his alma mater 6 years ago. Or the last time MSU underwent a coaching change from Mark Dantonio to Mel Tucker in 2020. Or any other time in the sport’s history.

“In this day and age in college football, there’s opportunities there, in regards to weighing your options, fresh starts somewhere else,” Smith said during his introductory news conference Nov. 28. “All of the current players are unsettled the last year, so that’s not totally surprising for guys to maybe want to explore an option or two, and I get that. And we really support those that want to be in that locker room in January.

“I’ve got a firm belief we can hit the ground running and do something special.”

If newspapers today were what they once were, the agate page of the sports section would need to expand greatly. Much like the transactions wire detailed the comings and goings of pro sports for decades, that essentially is what is happening in the era of one-time free transfers and immediate eligibility. And…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-state-football-transfer-portal-111344046.html

Author : Detroit Free Press

Publish date : 2023-12-13 11:13:44

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.