Two Spartans enter names into transfer portal
The transfer portal giveth, and the transfer portal taketh away.
Michigan State is already off to a successful start in wooing transfers to East Lansing as we shift towards the offseason, with former Wisconsin running back Jalen Berger and former UNLV linebacker Jacoby Windmon both committing to Mel Tucker and the Spartans for 2022.
But this week, two Spartans entered their names into the transfer portal as well, redshirt freshman wide receiver Ricky White and senior defensive back C.J. Hayes.
White has not participated in football activities since August, and while he has been on the roster throughout the fall, his status with the team was never disclosed by Tucker.
In 2020, as a true freshman, White had a breakout performance against rival Michigan in Ann Arbor. He caught eight passes for 196 yards, a single-game freshman record at MSU, and his only career touchdown with the Spartans.
White missed the final three games of 2020 due to injury, and in total had 10 catches for 223 yards in his Michigan State career. A three-star WR from Marietta, Ga. in the 2020 class, White was the No. 416 overall player in his recruiting class.
Hayes, meanwhile, has spent five seasons in East Lansing with the Spartans. He committed to Mark Dantonio as a member of the 2017 recruiting class as a wide receiver, but for his career Hayes only had 14 receptions for 154 yards.
The senior appeared in six games for the Spartans this season, but did not record any notable stats. As a graduate of Michigan State, Hayes will be deemed a "grad transfer" for whatever program he finishes his career with.
With the NCAA rule change that allows any player one "free" transfer in their career, both White and Hayes will be immediately eligible for their new programs.
