And just like that, the Michigan State football receiver room is looking pretty bare.
On Wednesday afternoon, Michigan State lost a fan favorite wide receiver that many were hoping would return under new head coach Pat Fitzgerald and retained receivers coach Courtney Hawkins.
After a fairly modest junior season with Michigan State after transferring in from Kent State, Chrishon “Big Play” McCray is back in the portal.
NEW: Michigan State wide receiver Chrishon McCray plans to enter the transfer portal, @PeteNakos reports.
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) December 31, 2025
The 5-foot-10, 171-pound WR posted 24 catches for 330 yards and 3 TDs in 2025. Former Kent State transfer has 105 career catches.https://t.co/MQMdRTpbPR pic.twitter.com/0oRgtp8Ym0
This is one of the toughest transfer losses so far for Michigan State as McCray was expected to take on a larger role with Nick Marsh also in the portal. Now, Fitzgerald and Hawkins must scour the transfer portal for replacements, or try to get Marsh to return — likely both.
Michigan State has lost a few projected starters now.
McCray was going to be a WR1 option, Michael Masunas was the projected starting tight end, Makhi Frazier was the team’s leading rusher, Gavin Broscious got starting snaps near the end of the season, and Jalen Thompson, too, recently put his name in the portal. That’s a lot of projected starters, but I’m willing to bet that there’s a method behind this transfer madness for Fitzgerald and Co.
Pat Fitzgerald is likely just molding his roster
While fans might be hitting the panic button with these guys transferring out, but this is likely a purposeful measure by Fitzgerald to help him shape and mold his roster.
Fitzgerald has met with all of his players, and they discussed their futures in the program. If he wasn’t willing to commit to certain players seeing the field or starting, they were likely shown the door. Sure, there were some transfers that left on their own, but there are many who are told that there might not be a role here for them.
McCray would’ve been a perfect fit in Michigan State’s offense under Fitzgerald and Nick Sheridan, however. He would’ve been the perfect dink-and-dunk wideout who could stretch the defense every now and then for a go route.
In his one season with Michigan State, McCray had 24 catches for 330 yards and three touchdowns. He looked to have a better rapport with Alessio Milivojevic than Aidan Chiles — another reason that this transfer surprises me.