Michigan State football: 3 players who (probably) won’t be back in 2024

Sep 30, 2023; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Noah Kim (10) throws a pass against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 30, 2023; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Noah Kim (10) throws a pass against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
1 of 3

The entire Michigan State football program is in flux. Mel Tucker clearly wasn’t the answer and the administration found a way out. Now that the slate is mostly wiped clean, the Spartans need a new head coach and could get one that will clean house.

One 11-2 season was completely forgotten in the disfunction of Tucker’s 5-7 2022 campaign, so the next head coach is well aware that there isn’t a lot of patience in East Lansing. They’ll need to win quickly and consistently. To do that, they may need to be active in the transfer portal.

On the other side, a lot of the players will be ready to leave after this year. Keon Coleman had the foresight to transfer last offseason and now he’s a superstar at Florida State. There will almost certainly be a few Spartans who follow his lead.

There is no NFL talent on this roster, so every departure will be to the portal. There could be a mass exodus, but at this point, I can say that these three Spartans probably won’t be back in East Lansing in 2024.

Sep 23, 2023; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Noah Kim (10) sprints upfield against the Maryland Terrapins at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 23, 2023; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Noah Kim (10) sprints upfield against the Maryland Terrapins at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-USA TODAY Sports

1. Noah Kim, junior

The answer at quarterback for Michigan State might not even be on the roster. Katin Houser is only completing 57.1% of his passes and averaging 5.8 yards per attempt, which is even worse than Kim’s numbers before the coaching staff made the switch.

Behind Houser is four-star freshman Sam Leavitt, and I could see a world where all three are on different teams next fall. However, it feels like a certainty that Kim will be gone after losing his job and losing the head coach that brought him in.

Kim will likely have to transfer down to a lower level of competition, but there are plenty of G5 teams that will be interested.