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Published Oct 9, 2023
Michigan State running back Jordon Simmons plans to enter transfer portal
Ryan O'Bleness  •  Spartans Illustrated
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Michigan State senior running back Jordon Simmons intends to enter the transfer portal and is no longer with the team, interim head coach Harlon Barnett said on Monday.

According to Barnett, Simmons is the only Michigan State player since the conclusion of the Iowa game, a 26-16 loss to the Hawkeyes, who has made his intention of entering the transfer portal known.

Prior to kickoff against the Hawkeyes on Sept. 30, Spartans Illustrated confirmed that long snapper Hank Pepper and defensive back Justin White are no longer with the team. However, it is still unclear whether either player plans to enter the transfer portal or not.

When Michigan State fired Mel Tucker as the program's head football coach on Sept. 27, a 30-day window opened for current MSU players to enter the portal if they wanted to do so.

As for Simmons, he felt it was the best course of action for him moving forward to shut down his 2023 season and get a head start on entering the portal, which Barnett does not have any hard feelings about.

“Today, this morning, Jordon Simmons came up and said he thinks he’s gonna jump in the (transfer) portal,” Barnett said. “With that being said, he’s off the team, and there wasn't (anything) bad. He went home and talked to his parents over the bye week and we said, 'OK, that’s fine,' so this is what he has available to him as far as football is concerned. He’s the one, that’s it.”

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Simmons carried the ball seven times for 14 yards on the 2023 season, and lost one fumble. He played in 29 total offensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. Simmons also played 56 combined special teams snaps on the year.

Simmons appeared in each of Michigan State's first four games this year, but did not play versus Iowa. Since he only played in four contests in 2023, and did not previously redshirt during his career, Simmons is able to use this season as a redshirt year and will maintain two years of college eligibility moving forward. Simmons, like all fall 2020 athletes, was granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA due to to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 34 career games as a Spartan, Simmons carried the ball 137 times for 520 yards (3.8 yards per carry). He also recorded 11 receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown, and as a special teams standout, has amassed five tackles.

Simmons led Michigan State in rushing as a true freshman in 2020 with 219 yards on the ground, but he quickly slid down the depth chart as Michigan State brought in transfer running backs such as Kenneth Walker III, Jalen Berger and Nathan Carter, among others.

Although Simmons saw his role greatly reduced since his freshman campaign, he decided to stick around in East Lansing over the past few years. In August, Simmons was asked about his decision not to enter the transfer portal back then when it would have been easy for him to do so.

"I feel good around the guys I'm with," Simmons said during the early part of fall camp. "It's a brotherhood here. I done bought into the program, stepped up on special teams like I said, but overall, I've just been working over the years, trying to prove myself to the coaches. I'm doing everything I can to get on the field.

"It's just the school in general. I love the atmosphere here. I love the environment. I love what the coaches got going on here. We're building something special here."

However, after receiving limited playing time now five games into the 2023 season, and losing his head coach, Simmons has changed his mind. This makes sense given the current situation and Barnett and the staff seem to understand that.

Carter leads Michigan State in rushing in 2023 thus far, as he has recorded 93 carries for 477 yards (5.1 yards per carry) and four rushing touchdowns.

Update: Spartans Illustrated has confirmed that Simmons officially entered the transfer portal on Tuesday, Oct. 10.

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