A couple of years ago, Michigan State defensive back Jaden Mangham decided to enter the transfer portal, and it was slightly surprising considering he had said previously that he wanted to tough it out and not just transfer.
Mangham went back on his word which rubbed some fans the wrong way, but you can’t blame kids in the days of the transfer portal and NIL.
What really made Spartan fans angry, however, was the fact that he decided to transfer down the road to Michigan. That’s just not something that’s usually done between the two rivals, and Michigan State fans took exception to it, especially when he explained why he did it: he wanted to play for a program that could get him to the NFL.
Oh, and he threw shade at his former teammates.
Well, his goal of making it to the league after playing for Michigan has fallen short. The former Spartan who burned his Michigan State bridge on the way out is back in the transfer portal after two very quiet seasons at Michigan.
Michigan safety Jaden Mangham is entering the portal.
— Allen Trieu (@AllenTrieu) January 2, 2026
Birmingham (Mich.) Groves product who was previously at Michigan State as well.https://t.co/1Uf5MXfa1t pic.twitter.com/95SQkRubou
Two years of Michigan didn’t yield much in the way of draft stock for Mangham as he played in just 14 games. He finished with better numbers in his two years at MSU.
Mangham won’t be coming back to Michigan State, but I know this news is circulating around East Lansing right now and Spartan fans all have their own opinions. And I’m sure those opinions aren’t exactly positive.
The former Michigan State starter will now be looking for his third home in five years.
Jaden Mangham had a much better Michigan State career
While he wanted to improve his draft stock at Michigan, Mangham didn’t see much of the field and he even graduated with a degree from Michigan State.
Plus, he looked much better as a player in East Lansing.
Here are his numbers at each school:
Michigan State (19 games): 73 total tackles, 1 TFL, 4 interceptions, 3 pass breakups
Michigan (14 games): 30 total tackles, 2 TFL, 2 pass breakups
I guess he should’ve stayed at Michigan State.
Mangham will surely garner some attention in the portal, but the luster has worn off.