Michigan State Football: Is WMU’s Jayden Reed a realistic transfer option?
Just about a week after entering the transfer portal, could Michigan State football push for Western Michigan wide receiver Jayden Reed?
The receiver position has never truly been a problem for Mark Dantonio and Michigan State football as they’ve had a multitude of All-Big Ten performers over the years.
When Dantonio first got to East Lansing, he had Devin Thomas and then there was BJ Cunningham and Keshawn Martin followed by Tony Lippett and Aaron Burbridge and Felton Davis III. Now, he’s on to Cody White and solid support guys like Darrell Stewart Jr., Cam Chambers and Jalen Nailor.
The receiving corps are looking strong heading into the 2019 season, as long as everyone can remain healthy.
But that doesn’t mean the Spartans can’t do some window shopping for the 2020 campaign, and beyond.
Michigan State will lose Stewart Jr. following this season and, depending on how good of a year he has, potentially White. If that’s the case, the Spartans will need to do some recruiting to ensure the drop-off isn’t severe.
Sure, Tre’Von Morgan and Tre Mosley are incoming freshmen with high upsides, but Dantonio could afford to look at the transfer market and he won’t have to search too far as Jayden Reed is in Michigan State’s backyard already. The Western Michigan star entered the transfer portal last week and there’s talk that Michigan State may be taking a look at him.
The move would make sense. Reed wants to play for a Power Five program that could get him recognized, so why not a school that has produced two Big Ten Receiver of the Year winners since 2014? He isn’t quite the same receiver that Burbridge and Lippett were, but he has all the tools to become one of the Big Ten’s best and put himself on the map.
Just look at his numbers from his freshman campaign in 2018. He finished the season with 56 catches for 797 yards and eight touchdowns. He was a home run threat every time he touched the ball despite not having great size. In fact, he’s 6-foot-0 and 170 pounds, but he’s one of the more electric pass-catchers to grace the transfer market this year.
Is he a realistic option for Michigan State?
In my opinion, absolutely. He just visited Iowa recently and there’s talk that he’s been on campus at Michigan State for a visit. The interest is there on both ends and he could fill the role of Stewart Jr. immediately and become just what the offense needs: speed.
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Reed likely won’t make a decision right away, but he has connections to Michigan State and is friends with some current student-athletes, but he will have plenty of options. The Spartans need to make sure he feels as if he’s a priority — because he should be.