Michigan State Football: 3 most impactful transfers for 2021 season

Mel Tucker is getting to work this spring. After being away from his new team for most of last offseason, the second-year head coach is piecing together an improved roster heading into 2021.

Michigan State didn’t have much of an offseason to get acquainted with its new head coach a year ago, but it’s good that things have changed this year. He’s closely monitoring position battles, developing relationships with players in person and, as important as anything, adding transfers via the portal.

No coach in the Big Ten has been as active in the transfer portal as Tucker and he’s hoping it pays major dividends this year with a more experienced and talented team.

Which transfers could have the biggest impacts in 2021, though?

This choice might be a bit of a surprise given the fact that he’s one of the least talked-about additions to the 2021 roster, but people don’t realize that Itayvion Brown was PJ Fleck’s top 2020 prospect at Minnesota and he held over a dozen impressive offers out of high school.

But Brown didn’t see the field in 2020 and decided to hit the portal. He wanted to pick a school that would give him a real shot to see the field and Michigan State is a perfect fit.

Although the new defensive look is a 4-2-5, the Spartans still lacked linebacker depth and he should see the field immediately. He stands 6-3 and 218 pounds and the former four-star prospect from Saint Louis should help the Spartans’ linebacking corps go from desolate to somewhat comfortable in 2021.

Yes, I believe he’ll be a more impactful transfer than Ben VanSumeren. But the Spartans could land an even more impactful linebacker in the portal as the offseason progresses.