Michigan State football should target CMU tight end transfer Tony Poljan

Central Michigan tight end Tony Poljan decided to enter the transfer portal and he could be a serious option for Michigan State football.

When Michigan State was recruiting for its 2016 class, it turned its sights toward Tony Poljan, a three-star dual-threat quarterback from nearby Lansing Catholic.

Poljan was listed as the No. 19 dual-threat quarterback in the country and he felt that his future was at the position under center in college. Michigan State felt the 6-foot-7, 235-pound recruit would be a much better tight end. The two sides never came together in agreement and Poljan decided to sign with Central Michigan over Michigan State.

Now that Poljan has had his opportunities at quarterback and then became an All-MAC tight end in 2019, it has become increasingly clearer that Mark Dantonio and his staff of evaluators were right about him.

It’s too late to go back in time and change a decision, but Poljan may have another opportunity to join the green and white as a tight end under a new regime led by Mel Tucker.

While there’s nothing stating that Michigan State is the probable destination for the Lansing-native, it seems likely that the Spartans would at the very least be in the running.

What Poljan would bring to Michigan State football

Tucker’s offensive coordinator Jay Johnson has been on record saying that the tight end position is the most important in his offense. He wants to utilize the tight end and make it the “MVP of the offense”. That’s where Poljan could come in to play.

Michigan State has Matt Dotson coming off a major season-ending injury in 2019 and an unproven Trenton Gillison as the backup, so a guy like Poljan would be a nice transition piece.

Adding a veteran like Poljan who has proven he can be an all-conference tight end after catching 33 passes for 496 yards and four touchdowns can only help the offense. He may not start over Dotson or Gillison, but he’d be a major piece to the puzzle. He’d provide much-needed depth and help the younger tight ends adjust.

Poljan was almost a Spartan before and Michigan State may need him now like it did in the 2016 class. He may get that second chance in East Lansing — and he should.