Since the inception of the transfer portal in 2018, it has become a crucial method in the player acquisition process for college programs. The portal has evolved and developed throughout the past few years. The latest development being the addition of two separate transfer portal windows throughout the calendar year.

The NCAA introduced new transfer portal windows that went into effect following the 2022 conference championship games. The first is a 45-day period after championship selections are made. The second window comes in the spring. For this year, those dates were Dec. 5, 2022 through Jan. 18 2023, and April 15 through April 30, 2023. Players must enter the transfer portal, if they wish, during those time periods. Graduate transfers are the one exception. They can enter whenever they choose.

Under head coach Mel Tucker, Michigan State has had success in the transfer portal. Tucker likes to use the portal to supplement the roster similarly to how NFL teams use free agency, while primarily building the team through high school recruiting. That means there is plenty of roster turnover, both good and bad, throughout the offseason. The two windows brought more organization to a rather chaotic era in college football.

The windows also make it easier for the fans and experts alike to keep track of who’s coming in and who’s coming out. Fans and pundits now have a general idea of when the busy times are going to be in terms of players entering the portal and committing to new schools.

While the spring window wasn’t as busy as the winter window, there were still many important departures and acquisitions by the Spartans. To see the analysis on the winter window, which we gave a "B" grade for, click here.

With the spring window now closed and commitments starting to die down, let’s take a deep dive and explore who exactly MSU lost and gained throughout the spring.

Unless Tucker pulls a rabbit out of his hat, it looks like MSU is done picking up players in the portal because summer workouts are underway and fall camp starts in less than a month. Since I graded MSU’s winter window in January, the Spartans have added six players via the portal, bringing the total up to 19 players between transfers and junior college additions since the 2022 season ended. With that said, as of July 2023, Mason Arnold's Twitter bio now says he is a long snapper for Florida State. His original commitment tweet to Michigan State on Jan. 14, 2023 has been deleted. With Arnold no longer with the program, that would actually make it 18 additions to the roster.

The Spartans suffered attrition at the wide receiver position this offseason. They lost Jayden Reed to the NFL, and in December, Germie Bernard decided to transfer to Washington. Michigan State also lost star wideout Keon Coleman in late April (more on that later). In response to the departures out wide, MSU brought in Nebraska transfer Alante Brown.

Brown isn’t the tallest receiver at 5-foot-11, but he has starting experience in the Big Ten. Brown’s best attribute is his speed. He started 10 of Nebraska’s 12 games during the 2022 season. He caught 16 passes for 191 yards last season. After the departure of Coleman, MSU needed a true No. 1 receiver. The Spartans needed a guy who could turn 50-50 balls into 80-20 balls. I don’t think MSU got that in Brown here. Brown will likely get a decent amount of reps and work in with players such as Montorie Foster Jr. and Christian Fitzpatrick. Brown can also make an impact on special teams as a returner. The receiving room for MSU is young and unproven, and Brown adds experienced depth at the position. He will certainly see the field this season, but don’t expect Brown to be a true replacement for Coleman or Reed.

Moving to the defensive side of the ball, the Spartans added defensive tackle Jalen Sami from Colorado. Sami is a really good pickup for the Spartans' rush defense, which was 102nd in FBS a season ago. He is listed at 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds. Sami has experience playing under Tucker, albeit for one season with the Buffaloes.

What Sami provides for the Michigan State defense is a big body. He can eat up multiple blocks, which can provide favorable matchups for other MSU defensive linemen. Expect to see Sami used in short-yard packages more so than obvious passing situations. He is not a guy who will be forcing the quarterback out of the pocket constantly. He is a player who can cause disruption in the run game with his big frame. Sami should see plenty of defensive reps, but will likely be a rotational player based on down and distance. Still, he is the best pickup of the spring window, in my opinion.

In the defensive backfield, MSU grabbed former Iowa (and very briefly Miami FL.) cornerback Terry Roberts and former Cincinnati safety Armorion Smith out of the transfer portal.

Roberts brings Big Ten experience to East Lansing at the cornerback position. Unfortunately, he’s suffered injuries that have derailed his past two seasons at Iowa. Roberts initially transferred to Miami (FL.), but re-entered the portal after spring practice concluded. Roberts is somewhat on the smaller side as Iowa had him listed 5-foot-10. It certainly isn't a lock that Roberts will be a starting cornerback for MSU, but he has a good opportunity to earn a role. Roberts will likely still play plenty of snaps and will at the very least be a rotational player in a secondary that needs improvement and experienced depth.

With sophomores Malik Spencer and Jaden Mangham expected to start at the safety spots, Smith likely will play in a rotational role as well. One of Smith’s best attributes is his versatility. At Cincinnati, he played as a box safety, slot cornerback and on special teams. Tackling and physicality are two aspects of his game that he needs work on over the summer and in fall camp. Smith does have three years of eligibility remaining so he can develop over multiple years in East Lansing if he so chooses.

Spartans Illustrated’s film review expert Chase Glasser broke down what he likes and doesn’t like about Sami and Smith. Click here to read it.

It is also important to note that MSU did receive a commitment from former TCU cornerback Kee’yon Stewart. However, he flipped his commitment to Arkansas 11 days after originally committing to the Spartans.

Michigan State’s latest addition was on special teams. Junior college transfer long snapper Drew Wilson committed to the Spartans on June 17. Given the Spartans' long snapping issues last year when Hank Pepper went down with an undisclosed ailment, this is a solid grab for depth purposes. Special teams blunders can kill momentum and adding depth can hopefully limit the chance of that happening if Pepper is out for some time again this season. Grabbing Wilson from Long Beach City College was even more important after Arnold silently changed his pledge to Florida State.

While the commitment of former Ohio State punter Michael O’Shaughnessy wasn’t during the spring window, it happened after I graded MSU’s winter window. He only had one punt as a Buckeye. O’Shaughnessy will have two years of eligibility remaining. He will likely battle redshirt freshman Ryan Eckley for the starting punter spot.

To recap the incoming transfers, MSU didn’t necessarily add any "big names" to the team, which might be disappointing to some. However, this window was more about solidifying the roster with depth-building additions who can compete for starting spots.

Brown is a solid pickup at the wide receiver position even though MSU fans might simply consider him a "consolation prize" after the Coleman departure and understandably so.

Sami is a nice piece to help with the run defense. Roberts and Smith provide added depth and versatility in the secondary. While I don’t necessarily expect any of these players to be every-down starters as of now, possibly with the exception of Brown, these pickups are all welcome additions to the roster.

Things seemed to be going well for Michigan State in the spring window all the way until the final day. Two-year starter and team captain Payton Thorne (quarterback) and MSU's leading wide receiver from the 2022 season, Keon Coleman, both entered the portal on April 30.

Overall, Thorne had a solid career in East Lansing. He completed 61% of his passes and threw for 6,493 yards, 49 touchdowns and 24 interceptions in his three seasons with MSU. While there was a quarterback battle in the spring and there was no guarantee that Thorne was going to win the job, this is a big loss due to the remaining quarterbacks on the roster having very limited in-game experience. At the very least, the Spartans lose an experienced leader that would be a reliable player, even as a backup.

The departure of Thorne to Auburn pushes redshirt junior Noah Kim and redshirt freshman Katin Houser firmly into the spotlight in a truly open quarterback competition. However, those two have thrown 21 career passes combined (19 of which from Kim).

Coleman stepped up last fall. After only catching seven passes in 2021 as a true freshman, Coleman’s production significantly increased in 2022 as he hauled in 58 passes for 798 yards and seven scores, leading MSU in all three categories. He was arguably the top wide receiver on the team alongside now Green Bay Packer Jayden Reed, who was banged up for part of the season.

Coleman was set up to be the main man out wide in 2023 with Reed departing for the NFL. Losing him to Florida State will put heightened uncertainty at the wide receiver position this fall. Redshirt senior Tre Mosley figures to be the top player in the wide receivers room in 2023, but after him, and perhaps Brown, it’s an inexperienced yet talented group of a half-dozen or so receivers.

Coleman was not the only receiver that MSU lost to the portal. Cade McDonald departed East Lansing in May and he will be playing for Miami (OH) this fall. McDonald had five receptions and five punt returns in his Spartan career. He most likely would not have been a significant contributor this season, but would have provided experienced depth.

In addition to Thorne’s departure at quarterback, Christian Banks also entered the portal on April 30. Banks joined the program as a walk-on running back in 2022. but switched to quarterback this spring. This is not a significant loss for the Spartans, but causes the quarterbacks room to have even less depth.

The Spartans lost one more player on offense in tight end Hamp Fay. Fay did not record any stats in his time with MSU. He moved around position wise as he began his career as a quarterback, then transitioned to safety, and eventually moved to tight end during his time in East Lansing. Fay committed to Oklahoma six days after entering the portal.

Moving to the defensive side of the ball, defensive end Itayvion Brown entered the portal on the first day of the spring window after being dismissed from the team due to gun charges. Brown only recorded five tackles in his two seasons in the Green and White. With how deep the defensive line is, especially after the transfer portal additions, losing Brown is not detrimental.

The final portal departure of the spring on the defensive side of the ball was by defensive back A.J. Kirk Jr. Kirk did not record any stats as a Spartan. He decided to go the junior college route as he committed to Jones College back in May. Kirk likely would not have been in the rotation this fall, although it was possible since it is wide open behind Mangham and Spencer at safety, so this is a loss that MSU can afford.

While cornerback Charles Brantley didn’t depart MSU after all, he did enter the transfer portal on April 30. He withdrew his name on May 2. Getting Brantley to withdraw his name was arguably the biggest win of the spring for the Spartans. Brantley has a good chance to be one of the starting cornerbacks this fall. He had 48 tackles and one interception last season in 11 starts. His most important play as a Spartan came in 2021 when he picked off then Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara to seal a victory for the Spartans over the Wolverines.

Losing a two-year starter at quarterback (Thorne) and arguably the best all-around athlete on the team (Coleman) is not something Tucker and MSU wanted to happen. However, in today’s college football, the portal will give and the portal will take.

On the bright side, the Spartans did not lose any major contributors except for Coleman and Thorne. Brantley gave fans a scare, but it was a huge win to keep him in East Lansing.

As for the incoming guys, Brown and Sami appear to be the top two in my eyes. Brown was a solid get at a position that needs more experienced guys after the Coleman departure. Sami will provide depth and will be great in certain defensive packages. Roberts and Smith have a chance to make an impact as well.

After the winter portal window, I didn’t think the Spartans addressed the team’s needs to the fullest extent. Those team needs, in my eyes, were the secondary and, to a lesser extent, the offensive line. Michigan State certainly addressed the secondary with the additions of Roberts and Smith in the spring. While they aren’t splash names, they will be experienced bodies to help if the injury bug bites the Spartans.

While the secondary additions were good, I would have liked it if MSU landed a transfer on the offensive line. Michigan State landed a huge junior college addition in Keyshawn Blackstock during the winter window, but returns largely the same group as last season. The Spartans also brought in two very talented true freshmen in Stanton Ramil and Cole Dellinger, but neither player is likely to see many snaps this season. With that said, offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic made it known throughout spring ball that he is pleased with what he’s got personnel wise. It’s not that I don’t trust Kapilovic, but an additional offensive lineman never hurts.

With that in mind, the depth on the offensive line appears to be much better in 2023 as the returning players are healthy and have another year of experience under their belts. This was not as big of an issue as adding depth to the secondary and to the wide receivers room was, so adding another offensive lineman would have been more of a luxury than anything else.

All in all, I do think MSU did a fine job with the incoming transfers. However, there is simply no replacing Coleman and Thorne. Losing two key guys on offense really dropped the portal grade down for me to a below average C-.

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