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BREAKING: Michigan State Loses Former 4-Star Recruit To Transfer Portal
One of the Spartans' top signees in the class of 2023 has hit the transfer portal...
Not all transfer portal entries are equal, and Michigan State Football just lost one of it's top signees in the class of 2023 on Tuesday.
Redshirt freshman defensive end Andrew Depaepe, a former four-star prospect and Top 140 player nationally out of Bettendorf (Iowa) Pleasant Valley, has entered the portal. Depaepe is MSU's second four-star prospect recruited by former head coach Mel Tucker to enter the portal in the past two days, joining wide receiver Antonio Gates Jr.
Depaepe was on Michigan State's roster during the past five weeks of spring practice, but did not participate in the "Spring Showcase" event hosted by the Spartans this past Saturday. The 6-foot-5, 254-pounder played 11 snaps in Week 3 against Washington last season, but that was all before redshirting. He enters the portal with four years of college eligibility remaining.
When he signed with Michigan State back in December 2022, Depaepe was viewed as one of the Spartans' biggest recruiting wins under Tucker. The Iowa native was second-highest rated signee that MSU landed in the Tucker era, behind fellow EDGE rusher and 2023 signee Bai Jobe (No. 54 nationally).
Michigan State has now lost 10 players to the transfer portal since the spring window opened a week ago on April 16. In addition to Depaepe and Gates Jr., those portal entries include linebacker Ma'a Gaoteote, running back Jaelon Barbarin, offensive lineman Braden Miller, cornerbacks Eddie Pleasant III and Marqui Lowery Jr., defensive tackle Simeon Barrow, defensive back Sean Brown and running back Davion Primm. Since the start of the 2023 season, the Spartans have seen 29 players enter the transfer portal.
MSU has also actively added players through the portal, including 11 during the winter window who participated in spring practice, and a 12th post-spring practice in former Indiana EDGE rusher Anthony Jones. The Spartans are expected to add more help to their 2024 roster via the portal in the coming weeks, with offensive line, linebacker/EDGE rusher, defensive back and wide receiver as priority positions.
For a full look at Michigan State's activity in the transfer portal, click here.
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