Wednesday has been a tough day for Michigan State football in terms of transfer portal losses. First, the Spartans lost Chrishon McCray, then it was Evan Boyd, and after that, it was arguably the biggest loss of the day, Jalen Thompson.
According to reports, Thompson is entering the transfer portal after spending the past three seasons in East Lansing as a former four-star defensive lineman from Cass Tech.
This is a tough loss, considering he was projected to be a starter next season on the edge, but he must have heard differently from Pat Fitzgerald during their one-on-one meeting. I’m not saying he got pushed out, but his role may not have been guaranteed for next season which could have led to this departure.
Thompson came to Michigan State as a big deal prospect, ranked in the top 250 nationally. He was the third-best prospect in the state of Michigan in 2023.
Michigan State’s defensive line has been disappointing for years, but Thompson was at least one of the few bright spots. He didn’t get much of a pass rush, but he finished his Spartan career with 66 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and four pass deflections. He would’ve had a major role as a senior on this defense.
Michigan State’s defensive coaching staff will figure it out
I have no worries about the defensive side of the ball, especially after seeing who Fitzgerald has hired at each coaching spot.
Losing Thompson hurts, but the Spartans will be just fine. Winston DeLattiboudere III has been the rumored hire as the next defensive line coach, and if that’s true, he’s going to be able to get some big names to seriously consider Michigan State considering he was an NFL defensive lineman coach with the Cardinals.
It’s hard not to trust a defense led by Max Bullough, Joe Rossi, DeLattiboudere, Hank Poteat, and James Adams. This group is looking really solid, and I would assume their transfer portal additions are going to reflect their coaching prowess.
Michigan State will probably lose more guys on the defensive line, but as long as guys like Derrick Simmons and Alex VanSumeren are back.