WR Keon Coleman Breaks Silence On Transfer Portal Entry
Wide receiver Keon Coleman has broken the silence and released his first public statement since departing Michigan State and entering the transfer portal on April 30th.
"Dear Spartan Nation, I know you all already have seen the rumors and speculation. Yes, they are true," Coleman wrote on Instagram. "I wanted to take the time and my appreciation to you all. I appreciate you all for taking me in with open arms and helping me become the player I am and the man I am off the field. I appreciate the everlasting support in my time being here.
"To the coaching staff, I thank you for giving me the chance to further my academic and athletic career here and I am very appreciative of the growth development that has happened over these past few years. After careful consideration, I've decided to enter the transfer portal."
The language that Coleman uses in this statement — "my time being here", thanking the fanbase, thanking the coaching staff — does not seem to bode well for a potential return to Michigan State. That's not to say that a return to the Spartans' sideline is 100% out of the question, but Coleman may be tipping his hand here.
At the very least, this all but confirms that the highly-sought-after wide receiver will take a strong look at the multitude of suitors available to him.
We've heard speculation that Coleman was been contacted by outside programs prior to entering the transfer portal, and have tried to convince him that his draft stock will suffer at Michigan State if Payton Thorne would have won the starting quarterback job. That's a moot point now, as Thorne has also entered the transfer portal, but it was enough to get the ball rolling on Coleman's decision to enter the portal himself.
It's unclear if this is the "rumors and speculation" that Coleman is referring to in his statement, or if that was just a broad statement concerning his portal entry.
Another report, from On3 Sports' J.D. PicKell surfaced today that Coleman's entry into the transfer portal in related to name, image and likeness, and that the receiver believes he is worth more that Michigan State's NIL collectives are willing to pay him.
Coleman’s reason for entering the portal is pretty straight forward, PicKell said. He’s seeking an NIL payout that apparently isn’t going to come at Michigan State.
“Keon Coleman, to put it bluntly, essentially feels like he is worth a certain amount and wants to test the open market because Michigan State isn’t able to meet that amount,” PicKell said.
We've heard speculation previously that Michigan State had been willing to match the NIL offers that Coleman has received from outside programs, so this "report" from PicKell seems to fly in the face of that. It's important to note that all of this speculation and reporting has come via unnamed sources, so take it with a grain of salt.
Coleman will reportedly take his first visit since entering the portal this weekend, when he heads to Tallahassee to get a look at Florida State from Friday until Sunday.
