For a couple of years, Dillon Tatum was considered a fixture of Michigan State football's defensive backfield. He was one of the leaders back there and it felt like the defense was in good hands.
On Monday afternoon following yet another spring with Michigan State, Tatum decided his time with the Spartans was over. He entered his name into the transfer portal, much to the surprise of fans. Reading between the lines, though, it felt like this was a decision that was agreed upon by both sides and it was in Tatum's best interest.
Returning from a season-ending injury and trying to remain up to speed or at least get up to speed is not easy and we've seen some careers derailed because of it.
Tatum decided to be proactive and enter the portal in hopes of catching on with a team that could utilize him and let him showcase his talents.
That's not to say he wouldn't have gotten up to speed in the fall, but right now, it sounded like he was fighting for reps and that's not where a former starter wants to be, especially with new bodies coming in with the 2025 class as well as the transfer portal only to make his path to playing time tougher.
You know it was a move that both sides agreed to because Darien Harris came out in defense of Tatum on social media, saying that he didn't deserve any hate that he might get.
But still, losing a starter from 2023 who began the season as a starter in 2024 can't be good, right?
I don't think this is a reason to panic and it might even mean that the defensive backfield is deeper than we originally thought. Tatum wouldn't transfer from his dream school just because he wanted a bag elsewhere. No, he's likely transferring because of the depth chart situation and an honest talk with the coaching staff made him realize that he might be better off looking for time elsewhere.
Losing a leader like Tatum definitely hurts, though. He was a guy who younger players looked up to and his voice in the locker room is not going to be easy to replace.
On the field, however, he likely wasn't up to his pre-injury standards and may have wanted to be a guaranteed starter for his final season of college ball elsewhere. This is not a bad thing for either side.
Rest easy, Spartan fans, the reason for Tatum's departure isn't anything more sinister than him looking for a better opportunity following a heartbreaking season-ending injury in 2024 that may have cost him a step or two.