Michigan State graduate tight end enters transfer portal

With little opportunity for playing time in East Lansing, it's a move that makes sense for this MSU graduate

Michigan State graduate tight end Parks Gissenger has entered the transfer portal. The redshirt junior played in eight games for the Spartans over the course of three seasons, and recorded one catch for five yards in his MSU career.

A member of the 2018 recruiting class, Gissenger was listed as an edge defender by 247Sports coming out of high school. After redshirting his first year in East Lansing, Gissenger made the transition to tight end during the preseason leading up to the 2019 season.

In 2021, Gissenger saw 21 snaps on offense and was in on 29 plays for special teams, but missed the second half of the season due to injury. He was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.

Michigan State has seen three tight ends enter the transfer portal now, as Gissenger joins Trenton Gillison and Kameron Allen. The Spartans should still have plenty of depth at the position however. Michigan State signed tight end prospects Jack Nickel and Michael Masunas in the 2021 recruiting class, and brought in transfer TE Daniel Barker from Illinois.

Senior tight end Connor Heyward played in the Senior Bowl and is headed to the NFL Combine as he seeks a professional career, but the Spartans will have returning players with experience at tight end in sixth-year senior Tyler Hunt and redshirt sophomore Maliq Carr.

Gissenger is Michigan State's 19th scholarship player to enter the transfer portal since September.