REPORT: Keon Coleman, Mel Tucker have sit-down meeting
Michigan State's football program already received some positive news Tuesday when cornerback Charles Brantley withdrew his name from the transfer portal to return to MSU.
Now, the Spartans could be hard at work to retain another of the three 2022 starters who entered the portal on April 30.
According to a report from WLSN-TV reporter Audrey Dahlgren, star wide receiver Keon Coleman had a sit-down meeting with Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker on Monday. The nature of the meeting is unknown — it could have been to discuss Coleman's future options, or a pitch from Tucker to attempt to convince his No. 1 wide receiver to return to East Lansing for the 2023 season.
Regardless, the fact that Coleman is still in communication with Tucker can only be viewed as a positive for the prospect of convincing the star receiver to return to MSU.
While portions of Michigan State's fanbase have grown disgruntled with Tucker after a disappointing 5-7 season in 2022, the Spartans' head coach has shown a knack for reeling in MSU players who have decided to test the their options in the portal. That's exactly what happened over the last 48 hours with Brantley.
In 2020, Tucker's first year in East Lansing, the head coach convinced then-running back Connor Heyward that Michigan State had a role for him as a tight end. Heyward withdrew from the portal, and was one of the team leaders for the Spartans' during the 11-2 season in 2021.
Just last offseason, linebackers Ma'a Gaoteote and Ben VanSumeren each entered their names into the portal in winter, but both returned to the program for the 2022 season. Players entering the transfer portal, withdrawing, and returning to their original schools is a rarity, but Tucker and his staff have had great success in that regard at Michigan State.
None of this is to say that Coleman, or incumbent starting quarterback Payton Thorne, are likely to return for the 2023 season. Retaining even one of these players, much less both of them, will be a difficult battle for Michigan State. With that said, Tucker and his staff have a track record of being able to convince transfer entries to give MSU another shot.
Spartan Nation will continue to monitor this story as it develops, and provide updates as information becomes available.
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