Trey Lisle Could Be MSU's Most Underrated Portal Pickup

This new member of the Spartans' defensive front has an intriguing path forward.

Fayetteville's Trey Lisle (17) and Ramses Capers (48) bring down Northside's T'kavion King (2) during a nonconference game in Fort Smith on Sept. 9 at Mayo-Thompson Stadium. | George \"Clay\" Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK

The transfer portal is usually used to get proven commodities on the roster to fill needs quickly. That's not always the case, though.

Michigan State went for potential overproduction for a few players this offseason. The most obvious case for this was FCS-level Southeast Missouri State transfer Trey Lisle. He committed to MSU on Jan. 8 with three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Why Lisle is Interesting

Joe Rossi | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans On SI

The size of Lisle is what immediately stands out on the sheet. He's listed at 6'7" and 254 pounds on the Spartans' spring roster. That puts him in a tie with big left tackle Ben Murawski, a UConn transfer, for being the tallest player on the roster.

Lisle was a relatively unknown prospect coming from Fayetteville, Ark. His only two Division I offers, both from the FCS level, listed on his 247Sports profile were from SEMO and Eastern Illinois. Lisle was ranked 1,886th overall in this winter's transfer portal cycle, also finishing 158th among EDGE rushers.

Michigan State mascot Sparty carries a flag during the Spartans' game against UCLA on Oct. 11, 2025. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

He was also an all-state safety coming out of high school. Lisle's bio from SEMO indicates that he made 90 tackles and intercepted five passes during his senior year at Fayetteville. He also blocked two punts and a field goal that year.

Lisle ended up redshirting as a true freshman with the Redhawks, but was a part of the defensive rotation last season. He recorded 241 total defensive snaps. Lisle made 16 total tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss and half a sack. That sack actually happened against North Dakota State, the offensive line centered by new MSU convert Trent Fraley.

Potential Role at Michigan State

Sep 7, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; A detailed view of Michigan State Spartans helmet on the field before the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

A Power Four school picking up an FCS rotational player is hardly the type of news that will improve a ton of projections, but that big size is why there is a lot of upside with Lisle. It's something Michigan State defensive coordinator Joe Rossi or rush ends coach Andrew Bindelglass cannot teach. His floor as a player is higher than most, regardless of level.

This year will be a good teaching year for Lisle. It seems likely Kenny Soares Jr. will be the starter at rush end this year, and then Anelu Lafaele will come in during more obvious passing situations. Soares will be out of eligibility following the 2026 season, though, and somebody will have to step in the year after that. If Lisle develops his skillset this fall, there could very well be a substantial role there for him in 2027.