Surprising Michigan State football WR has enters the transfer portal

Transfer portal season has quickly become one of the craziest things in all of college sports. And to think just a few years ago we didn't have to spend all day wondering if one of our favorite Michigan State football players will enter the portal or if the Spartans will target many transfers themselves.

Whenever you are in the first offseason of a brand new head coach, there is bound to be a lot of roster turnover. Michigan State football and Jonathan Smith have not been immune to that.

But the latest Spartan to enter the portal is a little shocking to me, and someone that I am very sad to see go.

Freshman wide receiver Antonio Gates Jr. is the latest Spartan to enter the transfer portal. The former four-star high school recruit had a solid true freshman season, so it is a little surprising to see him leave. During his freshman season, he caught five passes for 82 yards and one touchdown. Now I know these stats won't blow you away, but he was only a freshman and the potential for him at the position is definitely there.

It's also a little surprising to see this news because his father played at Michigan State under Nick Saban -- but he, too, transferred out. This seemed to be a big deal to Gates Jr. when he committed out of high school.

Thankfully for Michigan State fans, this isn't a loss that will be impossible to overcome. Smith has already proven to be active in the portal, so there's a chance he could look for another receiver in the portal to replace Gates. But the Spartans also have a healthy wide receiver room already, and incoming freshman Nick Marsh has already impressed a lot of people. So the future of the position at Michigan State is still bright, and the Spartans don't need to panic after this loss.