NEW: MSU Football Loses Two Defensive Players To Transfer Portal, Including Starter
Transfer portal season is an anxiety-filled time for college football programs. Nearly no one gets through unscathed, but if you can hang on to your most significant contributors that's often considered a win.
On Thursday morning, Michigan State Football suffered its most significant departure of the spring window when starting defensive tackle Simeon Barrow entered his name into the portal. Hours later, Barrow was joined by cornerback Marqui Lowery Jr., bringing MSU's total of spring departures up to six.
A redshirt senior, Barrow enters the portal for the second time in six months, having done so the first time during the 30-day window that opened to Michigan State players after Mel Tucker was fired in October. That stint lasted only two days, as the Spartans' previous coaching staff — with an assist from men's basketball coach Tom Izzo — managed to convince Barrow to finish the 2023 season in East Lansing.
Clearly, however, some doubt lingered on in Barrow's mind. The 6-foot-3, 296-pounder has been sidelined during spring practice while rehabbing an injury, but he was a heavy favorite to start again for the Spartans in 2024. Over the past three seasons, Barrow has appeared in 34 games, including 30 starts, in his MSU career, totaling 110 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, a pass breakup and two blocked field goals. Barrow has one season of eligibility remaining in his collegiate career.
Another redshirt senior, Lowery transferred to Michigan State after spending his first season at Louisville, where he redshirted in 2020. The 6-foot, 184-pounder has been plagued by injuries during his time with the Spartans, missing four games in 2021 and nine games in 2023 due to injury. In 16 games played at MSU, Lowery has totaled 30 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and three pass breakups.
With the losses of Barrow and Lowery, Michigan State has seen six players enter the transfer portal during the spring window. Earlier this week, the Spartans saw redshirt junior linebacker Ma'a Gaoteote, redshirt freshman running back Jaelon Barbarin, redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Braden Miller and redshirt freshman cornerback Eddie Pleasant III each enter the portal.
MSU is expected to be active in the transfer portal itself this spring, but head coach Jonathan Smith and his staff may be waiting for practice to conclude with Saturday's "Spring Showcase" event before working on gaining commitments from their transfer targets. For a complete list of the Spartans' transfer activity this offseason, click here.
The Michigan State Spartan Football Spring Green and White Game (Spring Showcase) will be held at the High Cathedral of the Spartan Nation, Spartan Stadium, on April 20, 2024, at 2 p.m.
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