Being a fifth-year senior, Michigan State linebacker Cal Haladay is one of many experienced players among a position group that has been aided by the transfer portal this offseason.

When meeting with members of the media on Tuesday after a spring practice, Haladay touched on the mix of guys the team has at linebacker in the locker room and what the potential of the group could be in 2024.

"I think it's a good room," Haladay said about the linebackers. "Yeah, we did lose two guys who are pretty tough to replace (Aaron Brule and Jacoby Windmon), but these new guys are going to do a good job. They're really good players, they come from other schools —one in the Big Ten (Jordan Turner from Wisconsin) and one at Old Dominion (Wayne Matthews III) and they've done a good job at both of those schools. They're going to make a big impact I think. We'll see them out on the field, and they're going to help us become better too, because we'll be competing every day like we are right now, then when fall comes around, we'll just be competing even more for the season."

In addition to Haladay, Turner and Matthews in the linebackers room, Michigan State returns Jordan Hall, who is coming off of a promising true freshman season, and veterans Darius Snow (who has a lot of playing experience, but has battled injuries over the past two years) and Aaron Alexander, among others. The Spartans also signed true freshman early-enrollee Brady Pretzlaff to the program.

Haladay is aware he could get a shot at playing at the next level after this year, but seems focused on developing himself as a player for one more year in college and doing what he needs to do to help his team win.

When he contemplated his options after last season, he knew returning to East Lansing was the best move for him.

"It's exciting," Haladay said. "I mean, I needed to come back for another year — definitely get a little bit better and I think, as a team, we didn't quite have the year I would like to have. I want to go out on a good note and have good memories leaving MSU. This will just allow me to be successful in the future and it will be another year to develop and take my game to another level hopefully over these next (several) months."