Former Spartans DL Simeon Barrow Possibly Jumping Teams Again
Earlier this offseason, Michigan State and Coach Jonathan Smith lost many players to the transfer portal. Not only were they losing players at a high rate, but they also lost some of their best players. One of those players was defensive lineman Simeon Barrow. The talented defensive lineman was undoubtedly going to be one of the leaders of the Spartans' defense this season.
While at Michigan State, Barrow played in 34 career games and was a three-year letter-winner. The defensive lineman registered over 100 career tackles while with the Spartans, including 18.5 tackles for loss. He also accounted for over ten sacks. Barrow finished his time at Michigan State tied for 24th on MSU’s all-time sacks list and ranked 15th on the Spartans’ sack yards list with 92.
With Coach Smith's arrival, it was initially thought Barrow would remain with the Spartans. However, Barrow changed his mind earlier this offseason and signed with the Miami Hurricanes. Barrow, one of the Spartans’ best defensive linemen and one of their best players, left a significant void on Michigan State’s defensive line. He was expected to be one of the Spartans with legitimate draft aspirations.
Just a few weeks after committing to Miami, it appears Barrow could be on the verge of changing his mind again. Matt Zenitz and 247Sports report that Barrow could potentially jump to the Southeastern Conference to play for the Missouri Tigers.
“Sources tell @GabyUrrutia247 and me for @247sports that things are currently up in the air with transfer defensive lineman Simeon Barrow and Miami,” Zenitz said. “Barrow, one of the top spring portal d-linemen, committed to Miami earlier this month.”
When Barrow decided to leave Michigan State, he departed around the same time as many other former Spartans were also entering the transfer portal. The mass exodus of players from MSU’s program had the potential to be a negative reflection of Coach Smith and his coaching staff.
However, Barrow’s potential departure from Miami so soon after committing to them proves the mass exodus of players from Michigan State may not have been an indictment on Coach Smith and his coaching staff after all.
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Ezekiel is a former Sports Editor from the Western Herald and former Atlanta Falcons beat writer.