Recruiting Trail, Not Transfer Portal, Could Be What Defines Determines Success in the Jonathan Smith Era

Michigan State football coach Jonathan Smith has been off to a solid start since arriving in East Lansing in November. Spring practices showed a lot of promise -- Oregon State transfer quarterback Aidan Chiles looks like the real deal. One of the only blemishes on the Jonathan Smith era -- which has still not even seen the summer -- is the transfer portal. Smith lost a number of key players, such as edge rusher Bai Jobe, a former highly touted recruit, defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, the best player on defense and possibly the entire team, and numerous running backs who were likely to contribute in 2024 -- Davion Primm, Jalen Berger, Jaren Mangham and Jaelon Barbarin.