In recent years, the transfer portal has become the new path to acquiring players in college sports. Some programs use the portal for added depth, whereas some build the team through it along with high school recruiting.

Michigan State football head coach Mel Tucker has made it known that he wants to build his team around high school recruits, similar to an NFL team building through the draft. However, he also wants to utilize the transfer portal to supplement the roster, which is in the same vein that NFL teams utilize free agency.

The NCAA recently introduced new transfer portal windows that went into effect following the 2022 conference championship games. There are two windows throughout the calendar year. The first is a 45-day period after championship selections are made. The second window comes after spring practice is complete. For this year, those dates are Dec. 5, 2022 through Jan. 18 2023, and April 15 through April 30, 2023.

Now that the first window of the cycle has closed, let’s take a look at who MSU brought in and who is leaving East Lansing.

As of now, the Spartans have acquired 13 players from the transfer portal and one from the junior college rankings since the 2022 season began. Players simply had to enter the portal by Jan. 18. They can commit to a school whenever they want to if they are already in the portal. Therefore, MSU can still sign more players from the portal.

One of the positions that was beefed up through the portal was tight end. MSU has picked up three tight ends so far.

Boise State transfer Tyneil Hopper (sixth-year) isn’t super tall for a tight end at 6-foot-2, but looks like a good addition. Boise State runs a system that doesn’t utilize tight ends a ton. Hopper had the most receiving yards out of any tight end on the Broncos' roster in 2021 with 132, and also scored two touchdowns that season. Hopper is an underrated run blocker for his size as well. He was never the clear first-choice tight end at Boise State, and while it will be unlikely that he will be the go-to guy at MSU, Hopper can still be a solid contributor in the passing game.

Norfolk State transfer Ademola Faleye (junior) has a boatload of potential. He stands at 6-foot-7 and weighs 235 pounds. He is the project player of the tight end room. Wisconsin transfer Jaylan Franklin (redshirt senior) only had two receptions for 40 yards with the Badgers, but is a Michigan native who will provide depth. Faleye and Franklin are expected to be a preferred walk-on for MSU.

The tight ends room was instantly upgraded with the addition of Faleye, Franklin and Hopper to add on top of redshirt junior Maliq Carr, who is expected to be the top tight end for MSU. Michigan State also added four-star true freshman Brennan Parachek to the group.

MSU also added depth at the running back position with the additions of UConn transfer Nathan Carter (redshirt junior) and South Florida transfer Jaren Mangham (senior).

Carter only played in four games in 2022 due to shoulder injury. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry in his career with the Huskies. Spartans Illustrated staff writer Chase Glasser wrote a film room piece on Carter here.

Mangham is the older brother of current MSU defensive back Jaden Mangham. Jaren Mangham played under Tucker at Colorado in 2019 before transferring to South Florida ahead of the 2021 season. He was the Bulls’ leading rusher in 2021 with 671 yards. Jaren Mangham is a physical back that can make a nice combination with the returning Jalen Berger. Both Carter and Mangham should be contributors in 2023.

One of the top acquisitions by Tucker was offensive line junior college (JUCO) pickup Keyshawn Blackstock out of Coffeyville Community College in Kansas. Blackstock was the No. 1 offensive lineman in the JUCO rankings, according to Rivals.

Blackstock can compete for a starting job at the right guard spot for a chance to play alongside fifth-year center Nick Samac and redshirt senior left guard J.D. Duplain on the interior of the offensive line, or can challenge Spencer Brown for a starting spot at right tackle. At the very least, Blackstock should heavily work his way into the rotation.

Another position group that was significantly upgraded via the transfer portal is the defensive line. In total, the Spartans have picked up four defensive linemen so far.

Florida State transfer defensive tackle Jarrett Jackson (sixth-year) is the most experienced out of the bunch. Jackson previously transferred from Louisville to FSU in 2019. The 6-foot-6, 300-pound Jackson will provide depth and look to work his way into the rotation in the interior of the defensive line.

Liberty transfer Dre Butler (sixth-year) will also add to the depth at the defensive tackle position. Butler also has some size at 6-foot-5. Jackson and Butler might not be starters in a deep room that includes redshirt junior Simeon Barrow, redshirt sophomore Derrick Harmon, redshirt senior Maverick Hansen and others, but expect them to be in the rotation.

Former five-star recruit and Texas A&M defensive lineman transfer Tunmise Adeleye (redshirt sophomore) is relatively inexperienced at the college level. However, he has a ton of potential and could be one of Michigan State's most impactful transfer additions. He is athletic and can play multiple positions along the defensive line on the edge or in the interior. Tucker and the defensive staff can use Adeleye in a variety of packages, which makes him a valuable asset.

Penn State transfer edge rusher Ken Talley joined the team in September 2022, but didn’t play a game. He used a redshirt for the 2022 season, which would make him a redshirt freshman in 2023. Talley was a four-star recruit out of high school. Overall, the defensive line has been beefed up via the transfer portal.

MSU also added some help at the linebacker spot in the form of UMass transfer Aaron Alexander. Alexander attended Belleville High School in Belleville, Michigan, so playing for MSU will be a homecoming for him. It is unclear if Alexander will be on scholarship. He will join a linebacking room that has a lot of talented players like sixth-year player Aaron Brule, fifth-year player Jacoby Windmon, redshirt junior Cal Haladay, redshirt junior Darius Snow, four-star freshman Jordan Hall and many others.

Tucker picked up another player from his alma mater, Wisconsin, in cornerback Semar Melvin. Melvin immediately brings experience to a defensive back room that is lacking in that area. MSU lost defensive leader and safety Xavier Henderson to the NFL Draft, so there is an opportunity for Melvin to come in as a veteran leader. There is also an opening at one of the starting outside cornerback positions, opposite of junior Charles Brantley, so there is significant playing time available if Melvin proves to be a top option for the Spartans. He played in 23 career games for Wisconsin.

It’s also important to highlight the special teams pickups for MSU. North Carolina transfer kicker Jonathan Kim is a relative unknown in the place-kicking game, but is excellent on kickoffs. He handled kickoffs for the Tar Heels, but only attempted one field goal in his four seasons in Chapel Hill. Kim is expected to handle all place-kicking duties for the Spartans.

Ohio State long snapper transfer Mason Arnold is expected to be the backup for redshirt junior Hank Pepper after redshirt freshman Michael Donovan transferred to Miami (FL). Pepper missed a significant amount of time in 2022 with an undisclosed ailment, so Arnold provides insurance in case Pepper misses more time in 2023.

Overall, MSU added some quality pieces at running back, offensive line and defensive line. The Spartans also added depth at tight end, linebacker, defensive back and special teams. While none of the players were big names to the casual crowd, some of the pickups could turn into significant contributors in 2023.

Michigan State lost three skill position players to the transfer portal. Running back Elijah Collins was the leading rusher for the Spartans in 2019 with 988 rushing yards. While he never matched his production from 2019, he was a reliable back that rarely turned the ball over in his final three seasons.

The Spartans also lost a pair of wide receivers in Germie Bernard and Terry Lockett. Bernard was the bigger loss of the two because he was a four-star recruit out of high school who made some plays as a true freshman. He played in all 12 games this season and looked like a promising player and potential future top wide receiver.

Lockett was never a significant contributor at the wide receiver position. He only had four receptions as a Spartan, but had the skill set to eventually find a bigger role. Lockett left the program in October.

MSU had the most departures of any position along the defensive line. Defensive end Jeff Pietrowski and defensive lineman Dashaun Mallory are arguably the most notable transfer portal entries up front. Pietrowski was projected to be among the defensive end contributors heading into 2023. He had 5.5 sacks in 2021, but he got injured early in the 2022 season. Mallory was never a consistent starter along the defensive line, however, he racked up a double-digit number of tackles in each of the last three seasons.

Defensive end Michael Fletcher was another contributor who entered the portal. Fletcher was pretty experienced as he played in 22 career games, and due to injuries on the team, actually started three games in 2022. Jalen Hunt is another experienced defensive lineman who decided to enter the portal. He played in 23 career games and also started three games in 2022. Other portal entries along the defensive line include defensive end Chase Carter, who spent just one season at MSU.

Linebacker Carson Casteel, safety Kobe Myers, and defensive backs Tate Hallock and Isaiah Henderson also entered the portal. Hallock was the only player out of that bunch that recorded any tackles (five). Henderson and Myers were both walk-ons for the Spartans, and Myers left the team in the fall.

As for special teams, the aforementioned long snapper Michael Donovan entered the transfer portal, but was replaced by Mason Arnold from Ohio State. Kicker Jack Stone also entered the portal. He was replaced by Jonathan Kim from North Carolina. Stone played in all 12 games for MSU in 2022.

In total, MSU had 14 players enter the transfer portal, which is down from the 21 players that entered the portal in the last cycle. There is still another window for players to enter, so that number is not final. Eight out of the 14 players that entered the portal are currently committed at other Power Five schools, three are committed at Group of Five schools, one is committed at an FCS school, one is committed at a Division II school and one is publicly uncommitted.

When a head coach, like Tucker, recruits the transfer portal hard, it’s natural to lose some key players to the portal as well. When looking at the departures, there aren't too many key players on the list. Sure, Bernard and Pietrowski might have breakout seasons in 2023, but outside of those two, and perhaps Collins, not many key contributors chose to leave East Lansing. That’s a positive sign for the future.

The acquisitions from the portal outweigh the departures. The running back, tight end and both the offensive and defensive line positions improved because of the portal. There are also more bodies in positions that MSU needs bodies, like on special teams.

Despite the praise, there are still areas on the team that remain uncertain on the team. MSU could still look to add players on both side of the ball, perhaps at wide receiver, offensive line and in the defensive backfield.

While Tucker did add several defensive backs in the high school ranks, he only added one defensive back through the portal thus far. The Michigan State secondary was arguably the worst unit on the team as the Spartans gave up 237 passing yards per game (87th in FBS). Adding a key player, ideally a safety with big game experience, in the May portal window should be on Tucker’s to-do list.

MSU only acquired one offensive lineman transfer, Blackstock out of the JUCO ranks, as well. While the Spartans did sign four-star Cole Dellinger and three-star Stanton Ramil out of high school, more offensive line depth is never a bad thing, especially with the struggles in the running game for much of the season in 2022.

Overall, Michigan State improved its roster. While Tucker didn’t address the team's needs to the fullest extent (secondary and offensive line), it was still a successful portal window for the Spartans.

Keep track of all of Michigan State's transfer portal movement here.