MSU’s Ultimate Transfer Portal Roll Call
Since the portal’s debut in 2019, Michigan State basketball under Tom Izzo has welcomed eight transfers: Joey Hauser (Marquette), Tyson Walker (Northeastern), Szymon Zapala (Utah State/Longwood), Frankie Fidler (Omaha), Denham Wojcik (Harvard), Trey Fort (a six-school odyssey), Divine Ugochukwu (Miami FL), Kaleb Glenn (Florida Atlantic/Louisville), and most recently Anton Bonke (Charlotte). Their on-court roles have ranged from Hauser’s sharpshooting veteran to Fort’s mid-season heroics and Ugochukwu’s injury-hampered backup duties. Each addition reflects Izzo’s evolving approach to roster building in the transfer era.
In true Spartans fashion, Izzo’s portal class sounds like a bizarre family reunion—everyone’s related by eligibility rules, redshirts and the occasional mid-practice eyebrow raise. We’ve got the overachiever who sat out a year, the globetrotting big man who can’t find a permanent address, and the coach’s son who probably has an unpaid internship sneaking into team film sessions. Who needs stability when you can cycle through a new personality every spring? Next year’s transfer class: come for the basketball, stay for the cautionary tale.
Izzo’s First Take on Bonke’s Big Arrival
Michigan State landed Charlotte transfer center Anton Bonke, a 7-foot-2 junior testing NBA waters after averaging 10.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks last season. Tom Izzo praised Bonke’s toughness, size, shooting touch and said high-major suitors like Kansas, Purdue, Gonzaga, Texas Tech, BYU, and Cincinnati were also in the mix. While excited about the addition, Izzo cautioned fans not to expect a “savior,” noting that most portal players are question marks, not guaranteed NBA talents.
Izzo calling Bonke “not a savior” may be code for “we didn’t sell our souls for an overpriced unicorn.” It’s that rare moment when the Zen master of Spartan hoops whispers, “Kids, don’t put all your hopes into one behemoth.” Meanwhile, fans can Google “NBA-ready center” until they discover that most seven-footers skipped the portal hustle for an Adidas deal. But hey, who doesn’t love a good underdog story—especially when the hero arrives in a NASA jersey-size?
Izzo Spills the Beans on Ugochukwu’s Exit
Divine Ugochukwu entered the transfer portal just before the deadline despite having played a key role in MSU’s Sweet 16 run. Coach Tom Izzo attributed the late decision to “distractions and dirtbags” — outside influences tampering with players and families. Izzo emphasized that Ugochukwu loved his time at MSU, praised the program’s success, and framed the move as respectful, contrasting it with other less considerate departures.
Nothing says “Spartan toughness” like calling well-meaning agents and family advisers “dirtbags.” Izzo’s metaphorical mud-wrestling carnival seems to be the true offseason sport. Meanwhile, Divine probably just needed a new highlight reel before next year’s portal sprint. We can’t blame the kid—when your coach is comparing prospective advisors to used car salesmen, you start eyeing greener sideline grass. But at least he left in style, no side-eye from Coach Izo at the airport.
Michigan’s Edge Rusher Picks MSU as Opening Act
Four-star edge rusher Myles Smith of Farmington Hills will make MSU his first official visit on May 29, followed by Missouri, Kentucky, and Michigan. Rated 245th overall by 247Sports Composite, Smith posted 85 tackles, 14 TFLs, six sacks, four forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in 2024, plus letters of recommendation as a varsity basketball forward. His decision to kick off the visit sequence at East Lansing gives MSU an early advantage against in-state rival Michigan at the finish line.
Nothing screams “recruiting genius” like asking a teenager to map out his social calendar between football cleats and AAU shorts. MSU is hoping that starting the visit tour here is like picking the appetizer—get their taste buds going before the main course. Meanwhile, those six forced fumbles are probably a typo; kids these days don’t force much besides eye-rolls during playbooks. But hey, if the Spartans can sell the concept of “home” better than a real estate ad, they might just have a linebacker for life.
Spring Tight End Rankings Shake Up Spartan Depth
After losing Jack Velling and Michael Masunas, MSU’s tight end room is led by fourth-year Brennan Parachek, followed by Ferris State transfer Carson Gulker, redshirt freshman Jayden Savoury, Indiana State transfer Kai Rios, true freshmen Eddie Whiting and Joe Caudill. Parachek’s experience and new coaching continuity set the bar, Gulker’s do-everything background impresses, and Savoury’s 6-5, 253-pound frame shows Big Ten potential. Rios offers a leaner, more athletic build, while Whiting and Caudill provide long-term upside after strong spring performances.
Behold the amateur drama of collegiate tight ends fighting for scraps on the depth chart like it’s a reality TV meltdown. Parachek might be TE1 because he’s old enough to remember when portal drama was just a myth. Gulker is still learning which end of the stick catches footballs, and Savoury bulked up for spring like he’s prepping for a Nobel lifting competition. Meanwhile, two freshmen are lurking in the weeds ready to pounce when someone—ahem, someone—drops the ball. It’s the most fun you can have without a scoreboard in April.
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