Why MSU Must Covet WRs in Transfer Portal
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The Michigan State Spartans will begin scouring the transfer portal for talent over the next few weeks.
The portal does not officially open until Jan. 2, but Pat Fitzgerald and his staff can evaluate and contact players in the portal. In fact, they have already extended an offer to former West Florida wide receiver Corey Scott.
This is a good start for Fitzgerald’s staff, as the Spartans need more wide receiver help in every way they can get it. MSU has already lost Nick Marsh to the transfer portal, and Omari Kelly is out of eligibility.
This leaves the Spartans without a top wide receiver for the 2026 season, as Chrishon McCray would benefit more from being an ancillary piece rather than MSU’s WR1.
Fitzgerald and his staff must find MSU’s next top wide receiver in the portal, no matter the cost.
Finding wide receivers
With the Spartans’ wide receiver depth thin and inexperienced, finding a dynamic receiver should be Fitzgerald’s highest priority when it comes to the transfer portal. Alessio Milivojevic needs pass-catching talent around him, and the offense will struggle if he doesn’t have it.
MSU has had a long line of successful wide receivers, dating back to the days of Plaxico Burress and the late Charles Rogers. Even more recent players like Jayden Reed and Jalen Nailor have found their way to the pros.
That lineage should be an easy sell for receivers, as East Lansing can be a place to help them get to the NFL.
Fitzgerald still has yet to hire an offensive coordinator, which could be a setback for recruiting. Wide receivers want to know what scheme they would play in and how they would be utilized, and they won’t know that if MSU doesn’t have an OC.
Those players would rather know what to expect than not as they decide who to play for.
Plenty of elite wide receivers should hit the portal, and several already have, including Colorado’s Omarion Miller and Kansas State’s Jayce Brown.
The Spartans should be in play for these receivers, as they are able to compete with big programs due to their financial flexibility. MSU can offer star receivers lucrative NIL deals and compete with big programs in the Big Ten and SEC.
Having a field-stretching, defense-dominating receiver would change the dynamic of the Spartan offense.
While we still don’t know what that side of the ball will look like next season, the first step is adding elite talent. MSU should start by finding top-tier wide receivers.
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Carter Landis studied journalism at Michigan State University, where I graduated in May of 2022. He is currently a sports reporter for a local television station and is a writer covering the Michigan State Spartans