Analyzing each Michigan State football transfer from Sunday and their position groups
Watching three starters from your football team enter the transfer portal in one day can certainly feel pretty shocking, and that’s what happened Sunday for Michigan State football. Quarterback Payton Thorne, wide receiver Keon Coleman and cornerback Charles Brantley all entered the portal.
While some people are frustrated with the news, I think if you look at each player and position group, those anxieties might be calmed a little. We look at each player transferring along with the position group situation they are leaving behind below.
UPDATED ON MAY 2, 2023: Charles Brantley has withdrawn from the portal.
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QB Payton Thorne
Nick King/Lansing State Journal
2022 Stats: 2,679 yards, 19 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 62.5 completion percentage
Quarterbacks still on roster: Noah Kim, Katin Houser, Sam Leavitt, Andrew Schorfhaar and Sam Leavitt
Analysis: Whether Payton Thorne is leaving this year to chase NIL money at a school such as Auburn, which is desperate for a functional quarterback, or because he was in danger of being passed in the depth chart by Noah Kim or Katin Houser, this was going to be Thorne’s last year in East Lansing no matter what. Thorne is competent, but he has a definite ceiling on his abilities, and the program might be better served getting a fresh start at that position with their QB of the future.
If the rumors are true and Noah Kim was starting to outplay him in practice, it’s the best thing for all involved for Thorne to move on. It’s never good to have those kind of whispers around your veteran quarterback, even if they were just rumors.
WR Keon Coleman
Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports
2022 stats: 58 receptions, 798 yards, 7 touchdowns
Wide receivers still on roster: Tre Mosley, Montorie Foster Jr., Tyrell Henry, Christian Fitzpatrick, Jaron Glover, Antonio Gates Jr., Cade McDonald, more…
Analysis: This is the one that stings the most of the three big transfers. Coleman was set up to be the Spartans’ No. 1 option, and one of the best wide receivers in the Big Ten. However, this is a deep group. Players such as Antonio Gates Jr. had about as much hype and potential as Coleman coming out of high school. Others, such Christian Fitzpatrick, have similar size to Coleman. You can also bet the Spartans will add a few more receivers in the portal to flesh out this group.
