Michigan State in Contact With Two Elite Portal Wide Receivers
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Michigan State and new head coach Pat Fitzgerald have been highly active in the first few days of the 2026 transfer portal window, securing commitments from multiple prospects and making progress with several of their top targets.
One position the Spartans needed to address coming into the portal was wide receiver, and they have reportedly been in contact with two of the best available pass catchers.
Spartans Targeting With Two Elite Portal Wideouts
Heading into 2026, Michigan State will be without its two top receivers from 2025, as Nick Marsh transferred to Indiana, and Omari Kelly is out of eligibility. So far in the transfer portal, Fitzgerald and his staff have been working to address this issue and are actively pursuing several wide receivers.
According to “JGPCFB” on X, two of those wideouts are Purude transfer Arhmad Branch and Syracuse transfer Darrell Gill Jr., both of whom are among the top available wideouts in the portal.
Although the Spartans haven’t hosted either player on campus for an official visit, they have been in contact with both. Here’s a closer look at Gill and Branch and where Michigan State stands in their portal recruitment.
More on Gill Jr.
Gill Jr. has spent the last three seasons at Syracuse and has been highly productive, totaling 70 receptions for 1,136 yards and eight touchdowns in 37 games. He has one year of eligibility remaining and would be an immediate upgrade at wide receiver for Michigan State.
247Sports’ transfer portal rankings list him as a four-star prospect, the No. 19 overall player in the portal, and the No. 5 wide receiver. Many of the nation’s top programs are pursuing Gill, and he’s taken visits to Ole Miss and Houston.
Former Syracuse WR Darrell Gill Jr. tells me he’s been in contact with these 28 schools and has already taken visits to Ole Miss and Houston since entering the Transfer Portal.
— JGPCFB (@jgpvisuals) January 4, 2026
The 6'3", 190 lb WR totaled 70 Rec for 1,136 Yards & 8 TDs throughout his career with the Orange.… pic.twitter.com/TSvH1hzVt2
It remains a long shot for the Spartans to land him, but they’re at least in contact with the Syracuse transfer, and it’s possible they could get him on campus for a visit before the portal closes.
More on Branch
Branch just finished his redshirt sophomore season at Purdue and had a solid 2025 campaign, recording 14 catches for 212 yards and two touchdowns in nine games. He’s a former four-star recruit with two years of eligibility remaining and would likely see plenty of playing time for Michigan State in 2026.
247Sports’ transfer portal rankings list him as a three-star prospect, the No. 144 overall player in the portal, and the No. 35 wide receiver. Fewer schools are targeting Branch than Gill, giving the Spartans a much better chance of landing him.
Former Purdue Wide Receiver Arhmad Branch has been in contact with these 16 Schools since entering the Transfer Portal, he tells me.
— JGPCFB (@jgpvisuals) January 4, 2026
Branch totaled 14 Receptions for 212 Yards & 2 TDs for the Boilermakers in 2025 & is a former 4-Star Recruit in the 2023 class.
Where should he… pic.twitter.com/4bcwR2pCkO
So far, Branch hasn’t scheduled any official visits, and with the Spartans being among the early teams to contact him, they would likely be in a strong position to land him if they get him to East Lansing for a visit.
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Max Doresy serves as the Western United States College Recruiting Beat Writer On SI. He graduated from the prestigious Syracuse University – S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Before that, he worked for the Pro Football Network and was part of the recruiting department for Syracuse University's football program.