Michigan State defensive tackle Derrick Harmon has withdrawn his name from the transfer portal. He will rejoin the Spartans under new head coach Jonathan Smith, defensive line coach Legi Suiaunoa and the rest of the staff.
Harmon took to social media to announce the news on Wednesday.
He becomes the eighth MSU player to withdraw from the portal since the 2023 season started, joining fellow defensive tackle Simeon Barrow Jr., linebacker Darius Snow, wide receiver Jaron Glover and offensive linemen Ethan Boyd, Brandon Baldwin, Kris Phillips and Geno VanDeMark.
Harmon saw game action right away once he arrived on campus. In his true freshman season in 2021, he played in four games and recorded one tackle. Due to only playing in four games that season, he was able to utilize his redshirt.
As a redshirt freshman in 2022, he played in all 12 games and earned five starts for the Spartans. He finished the season with 30 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, one pass defended and one fumble recovery.
In his third year with the program, Harmon played in all 12 games again and recorded 40 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one pass defended and one forced fumble. As a redshirt sophomore, he set new career highs in tackles and tackles for loss in the 2023 season.
He played 475 defensive snaps this past season. According to Pro Football Focus, Harmon was MSU's highest-graded defensive player overall (minimum 20 snaps) at a mark of 78.4.
After the 2023 season, he announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal on Nov. 29 and officially entered the portal on Dec. 4. While in the transfer portal, he received interest from some top programs like Auburn, Ohio State, Oregon and more.
Harmon returns to East Lansing to lead an interior defensive line unit that includes Barrow, Maverick Hansen (if he opts to return in 2024), Jarrett Jackson (if he opts to return in 2024), Alex VanSumeren and others.
To keep up with all of Michigan State’s transfer portal activity, please visit the Spartans Illustrated Transfer Portal Tracker.
