247Sports says Michigan State football will be "spender" in spring transfer window

The most important thing Jonathan Smith had to do when he became head coach at Michigan State football was save the roster from caving in on itself.

The 2024 recruiting class had almost nobody left in it, and the current team was dropping like flies. Smith got right to work with his staff and did an excellent job improving the roster throughout the winter. This includes convincing current players to stay in East Lansing and adding many solid recuits to the 2024 class.

But the one place Smith was arguably at his best was in the transfer portal. He not only brought a lot of his players from Oregon State to MSU, he also recruited many other players to East Lansing as well. So Smith has already proven he can be effective in the portal, and 247Sports doesn't see that ending any time soon.

247Sports expects a big spring from Michigan State

The main reason 247Sports reporter Brad Crawford expects a big spring from Michign State is quite simple. The amount of openings in the roster make it essentially impossible for Smith to not use the portal. Crawford had the following to share about Michigan State as the spring transfer portal window approaches.

"He's (Smith) essentially starting from scratch with the Spartans, however. More than two dozen players left the program after the 2023 season and now all of those voids haven't been filled just yet."

- Brad Crawford

Smith signed 10 transfers during the fall/winter transfer window, and I could see him signing a similar number in the spring. As Brad Crawford mentions, there are already a lot of voids in the roster today, but that number will likely grow. There's a high chance some players on the roster right now will enter the portal and leave MSU this spring. So that will open up even more holes that Smith needs to fill.

One thing that no one can deny is that Smith has already earned Spartan fans' trust. He has done everything right so far in his tenure, and I have zero doubts that he will continue making big yet smart moves in the portal.

The Spartans spring practice schedule ends next week, but that doesn't end the exciting times for the program. Recruiting will become the forefront on everyone's minds, and I can't wait to see what Smith and his staff do in their first summer at Michigan State.