Michigan State Football: 3 more Spartans enter transfer portal

Author:
Matthew Lounsberry
Publish date:
Dec 9, 2023 1:20 PM EST

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As the old saying goes, "sometimes things have to get worse before they can get better."

Michigan State's football roster has been gutted by transfer portal departures since the end of the 2023 season. It's a necessary part of MSU's transition out of the Mel Tucker era and into a new regime under Jonathan Smith. On Saturday, three more former Spartans elected to finish their careers elsewhere — defensive end Khris Bogle, defensive tackle Dre Butler and walk-on wide receiver Sebastian Brown.

Bogle, who spent three seasons at Florida before transferring to Michigan State ahead of the 2022 season, appeared in 14 games over a two-year stretch in East Lansing. He played in just four games in 2022 before suffering a season-ending injury and was granted a medical redshirt by the NCAA. Bogle appeared in 10 games this past season. As a Spartan, he recorded 25 tackles, including five tackles for loss and two sacks over the last two seasons.

Butler is something of an embodiment of the current age of college athletics. He began his career in 2019 at Independence Community College in Kansas. He then transferred to Auburn and played sparingly for two seasons. Butler then transferred to Liberty in 2022, where he played in all 13 games for the Flames and had his best collegiate season: 23 tackles, two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Butler, a 6-foot-5, 300-pounder, then transferred to Michigan State as Tucker attempted to add size and depth to the Spartans' defensive front. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned, as Butler appeared in just three games at MSU before missing the final nine due to injury. Now, the fifth-year senior is back in the portal seeking a fifth school to continue his college football career.

Finally, Brown enters the portal after having spent four years at Michigan State as a walk-on wide receiver. After redshirting in 2020, Brown did not see game action until this past season. The senior played a total of six offensive snaps and another on special teams in games against Richmond, Rutgers and Penn State.

With Saturday's transfers, Michigan State's roster has suffered 19 transfers since the end of the 2023 season, 23 since Tucker was fired and two more departures from the program. The Spartans have seen all three scholarship quarterbacks — Noah Kim, Katin Houser and Sam Leavitt — enter the portal, as well as five offensive lineman: Spencer Brown, Ethan Boyd, Kevin Wigenton, Geno VanDeMark and Brandon Baldwin. Wide receivers Jaron Glover, Christian Fitzpatick and Tyrell Henry have also entered the portal, alongside defensive end Zion Young, defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, cornerback Charles Brantley, tight end Evan Morris and punter Michael O'Shaughnessy.

After being the first Spartan to enter the portal this offseason, redshirt junior linebacker Darius Snow withdrew his name earlier this week while announcing a return to Michigan State.

Four other Spartans entered the portal during the 30-day window which opened to the program after former head coach Mel Tucker was fired — long snapper Hank Pepper, offensive lineman Keyshawn Blackstock, running back Jordon Simmons and defensive back Justin White. Additionally, defensive end Tunmise Adeleye, has left the program and will likely enter the portal on Dec. 4. Cornerback Terry Roberts, who transferred to MSU from Iowa last offseason, left the program before the season began and never played for the Spartans. All transfer portal activity for Michigan State football can be viewed here.

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