Top Michigan State RB Announces Plans to Enter Transfer Portal

It didn't take long for the first transfer portal announcement to come after the Spartans fired Jonathan Smith.

Michigan State RB Makhi Frazier carries the ball against USC on Sept. 20, 2025 | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

The craziness of the offseason for Michigan State football has only begun. Starting running back Makhi Frazier announced that he is planning to enter the transfer portal on Sunday.

Frazier's decision is in the wake of MSU's decision to fire Jonathan Smith and its reported plans to hire former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald. He was the Spartans' leading rusher this past season, finishing with 520 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in nine games.

Frazier's Time at MSU

Michigan State's Makhi Frazier runs for a gain against Penn State during the first quarter on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Frazier will end up with two more years of eligibility at whatever school he ends up at. Clearly, he has some loyalty to Smith, since he was committed to him at Oregon State, but flipped to MSU after Smith took the job in East Lansing. He is the first Michigan State player to officially announce their intentions to leave the program after Smith's firing; he will certainly not be the last.

He only saw some limited time as a freshman, finishing with seven carries for 21 yards. Frazier was expected to see an uptick in playing time over the offseason, but starting the year as the top running back on the depth chart was a bit of a surprise to some. Sacramento State transfer Elijah Tau-Tolliver did seem to take the mantle of RB1 at the end of the year, though, as Frazier missed a few games due to injury.

Chances are that Frazier will be getting some Power Four interest. He is an elusive back who has some home-run ability and is a pretty efficient runner when his offensive line gives him the space to operate.

As a high school recruit, Frazier was ranked 1,719th overall in the class of 2024, per the 247Sports Composite, and was ranked No. 126 among running backs. Other notable offers from schools that still have the same head coach include Minnesota, Boise State, and Missouri.

Eventful Offseason Ahead

Oct 8, 2022; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald watches his team play against the Wisconsin Badgers at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

Michigan State is probably going to look much, much different in 2026 than it did in 2025. Frazier wasn't the only player who felt close to Smith, who commanded the locker room pretty well during a 4-8 season, so plenty more will probably be entering the transfer portal this offseason.

Since Frazier is the only player to announce his intention to depart East Lansing thus far, there is no need to include an official transfer portal tracker here. There will be one for the future, though, as more players eventually leave or commit to the Fitzgerald-led Spartans.

Michigan State RB Makhi Frazier (5) celebrates a touchdown alongside Luka Vincic (70) and Brennan Parachek (82) against Youngstown State on Sept. 13, 2025. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

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