Spartan Avenue
Fansided

Michigan State Football: Kaleel Gaines reportedly transfers from program

By Connor Muldowney

Oct 1, 2016; Bloomington, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio walks his team onto the field before the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Indiana Hoosiers beat the Michigan State Spartans by the score of 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2016; Bloomington, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio walks his team onto the field before the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Indiana Hoosiers beat the Michigan State Spartans by the score of 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Michigan State football is losing another player to transfer as sophomore defensive back Kaleel Gaines is reportedly leaving the program.

Program attrition is normal in the offseason and Michigan State is still experiencing some of it. While guys like Thiyo Lukusa and Jon Reschke have left the program, there will still be more to follow. On Friday, rumors circulated about sophomore defensive back Kaleel Gaines heading out.

Must Read: MSU Recruiting: 5 bold predictions for June

The Frostproof, Fla., native committed as part of Michigan State’s 2015 class and redshirted that season. He played minimally in 2016 and was expected to challenge for playing time in 2017 as a two-way player. However, it looks like he may be headed elsewhere.

While nothing has been confirmed by the school or Gaines just yet, it looks like this might be true after all. Kenny Willekes posted a goodbye message for Gaines on his Instagram, likely signaling his departure from the program.

Mark Dantonio was likely hoping to retain Gaines and use him as a two-way threat and maybe even on special teams, but this transfer opens the door for other guys to step up. The reason for the transfer is unknown, but this is a common occurrence for any major program.

Related Story: MSU Football: Top 50 players in school history

Who will step up in his absence to provide depth at receiver and cornerback? Guys like Josiah Scott, Vayante Copeland and Justin Layne are fighting for the starting positions, but Gaines looked to be in that second tier.

Home/Spartans Football