Two former Michigan State football players are reuniting in Ypsilanti for the 2026 season.
Noah Kim has already been at Eastern Michigan and was the MAC’s leading passer this past season, throwing for over 2,800 yards which was almost 300 more than the next-closest quarterback. The former Spartan will now have a Michigan State offensive linem transfer blocking for him next season.
Kim announced that he’d be returning to Eastern Michigan for one more season, and now he’s going to have a familiar face blocking for him.
Michigan State interior offensive line transfer, and former four-star recruit, Cole Dellinger is headed across the state to play for Eastern Michigan.
Cole Dellinger is coming to The Factory!#EMUEagles ⛓️ #ETOUGH pic.twitter.com/7VilNT5GUC
— Eastern Michigan Football (@EMUFB) January 11, 2026
With Dellinger committed to Eastern Michigan, he becomes just the latest former Spartan to transfer to a program that is on Michigan State’s 2026 schedule. That list is growing by the day, and it’s going to make for some intriguing matchups next season.
Cole Dellinger is the latest Spartan to transfer to an MSU opponent
Dellinger was once a highly-regarded offensive lineman in the 2023 class, and he flipped back and forth between three and four-star status over the final few months of his high school career. He may have been ultimately listed as a three-star, but he was a four-star for most of his prep playing days.
He’s now the latest former Spartan on the list of 2026 opponents.
Here’s who else Michigan State will be playing in 2026:
- Jack Wills, LS — Nebraska
- Aidan Chiles, QB — Northwestern
- Noah Kim, QB — Eastern Michigan
- Katin Houser, QB — Illinois
These former Spartans transferred to Big Ten programs who don’t happen to be on Michigan State’s schedule this coming season:
- Alex VanSumeren, DT — USC
- Nick Marsh, WR — Indiana
- Aydan West, CB — Minnesota
- Elisha West, DB — Minnesota
It’s highly likely that more former Spartans will commit to 2026 Michigan State foes or other Big Ten opponents. Several other prominent Michigan State transfers have also found new home outside of the Big Ten:
- Cooper Terpstra, IOL — UCF
- Stanton Ramil, OT — Auburn
- Ashton Lepo, OT — Oklahoma State
- Martin Connington, K — Kansas
- Kaden Schickel, LS — Vanderbilt
- Rashawn Rogers, OT — Ferris State
- Mercer Luniewski, IOL — San Diego State
- Charlton Luniewski, OT — San Diego State
- Justin Bell, OT — Virginia Tech
- David Santiago, EDGE — Kansas
- Kristian Phillips, IOL — Boston College
- Evan Boyd, WR — Iowa State
- George Mullins, S — Delaware
- Michael Masunas, TE — Texas
- Ade Willie, DB — North Carolina
- Gavin Broscious, IOL — Iowa State
There will be a lot of familiar faces in unfamiliar places next season. Michigan State fans will likely be following a lot of these guys closely.
Let’s hope no one transfers to Michigan. Looking at you, Justin Denson.