Michigan State Had a Productive Week in the Transfer Portal

Michigan State and Coach Jonathan Smith finally get some good news from the transfer portal.

Michigan State's head coach Jonathan Smith gives a thumbs up to the crowd as he enters the field | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA

Since Coach Jonathan Smith arrived in East Lansing, Michigan State has had many players enter the transfer portal. The loss of many players left many voids on the Spartans’ roster. Since taking over the helm, the Spartans have had over a dozen players enter the transfer portal, but for a while, not many players committed to playing for them next season. 

That has changed, as Coach Smith and Michigan State recently secured a handful of transfer portal players to help soften the blow of the mass exodus of players from the Spartans’ roster. Michigan State signed four players from the transfer portal within the last week and even got some good news on the recruiting trail.

Coach Smith and the Spartans signed linebacker Marcellius Pulliam from Miami (FL), who recently announced his intention to play for Michigan State. Pulliam was a three-star athlete coming out of high school and a true freshman during his lone season with the Hurricanes, in which he played primarily on special teams. 

In addition to Pulliam, Michigan State added defensive tackle Jalen Satchell, who most recently played for Old Dominion. Satchell played at Temple for two seasons before his single season at Old Dominion. He registered 16 tackles and a sack last season. Pulliam was a major victory for a Spartans roster that needed additional talent.

After losing two of their best defensive linemen to the transfer portal, Coach Smith and Michigan State signed defensive lineman Ru’Quan Buckley, a transfer from Nebraska with two years of eligibility remaining. Buckley played on Nebraska's offensive and defensive line last season, showcasing his versatility. 

The Spartans didn’t stop there. They also signed defensive end Tyler Gillison from Cincinnati. He is the younger brother of former MSU tight end Trenton Gillison, who played under Coach Mark Dantonio. He has three years of eligibility remaining. 

The Spartans also just landed transfer cornerback Lejond Cavazos from North Carolina.

As relieved as Coach Smith and the Spartans are that they have made some additions via the transfer portal, Michigan State also had some success on the recruiting trail. It signed three-star linebacker DiMari Malone. Malone, a native of Macomb, Michigan, is a critical in-state signing for Coach Smith, who hopes to continue to sign more in-state players of all rankings.

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