3 More Transfer Portal Targets for MSU Football

The transfer portal is in full swing.

Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith is tasked with rebuilding the Spartans’ roster, and the first order of business was to talk with the players left over from the previous regime, find out who was staying and who was leaving, and determine the Spartans’ needs as a result.

So far, Michigan State have lost seven offensive lineman and four defensive lineman to the transfer portal. The Spartans have already had issues in the trenches and now they’ll bring in a mostly new O-line group. MSU have also suffered losses of three scholarship wide receivers, meaning no matter who the next Spartan quarterback is, Smith needs to find pass-catchers for him to throw to.

Smith’s unfinished but growing coaching staff has already started reaching out to players in the portal and assessing the program’s most glaring needs. Here are three players that Michigan State have targeted that could end up in East Lansing by January.

DL Jamarius Dinkins (So.) — Kentucky

Dinkins is already locked into an official visit at Michigan State this weekend. The former three-star stands at 6-foot-5, 280 pounds making him a lengthy and strong defensive end. The Columbus, Ohio native has been at Kentucky since 2021 and was gradually added to their defensive line rotation as his career progressed.

Dinkins has played in 23 total games at Kentucky, taking a redshirt year in 2021. His size could make him a valuable addition for MSU, as he is large enough to play on the edge and potentially on the interior. Over the last two seasons, Dinkins has recorded a 18 tackles, including two for loss. From the outside, he could be a depth piece but he has the potential to be a starter and grow into a larger role should he land with the Spartans.

Michigan State needs as many defensive lineman as it can get. New D-line coach Legi Suiaunoa is the Spartans third coach at the position in three years. With plans to keep this staff more long term, Suiaunoa can build this position group how he sees fit. With some valuable young pieces already on MSU’s roster, such as defensive ends Bai Jobe and Andrew Dapaepe and defensive tackle Jalen Thompson, Dinkins could be an asset as a veteran in that room.

WR Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen (Sr.) — Purdue

Yaseen has already scheduled his Michigan State visit for December 15-17. This would be an important player for the Spartans to land not only because they need wide receivers, but because he is also a Michigan native. The former four-star played at Walled Lake (Mich.) Western in metro-Detroit and held a Michigan State offer coming out of high school.

Yaseen has the potential to be a breakout player wherever he lands next season. While he wasn’t the star of Purdue’s wide receiver group this past season, he was very productive. The third-leading receiver for the Boilermakers, Yaseen averaged 13.2 yards per catch and 54.8 yards per game in 2023. While consistent and one of Purdue’s leading receivers, he has yet to record a touchdown in his college career, but that’s surely to change next season.

Similar to Dinkins, Yaseen can add a much-needed veteran presence in Michigan State’s wide receiver room. At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, he has a large frame for any quarterback to target. This could be one of the first pieces Jonathan Smith adds to an offense that needs a complete turnaround in 2024, and Yaseen has an opportunity to have a breakout year.

OT Luke Newman (Sr.) — Holy Cross

Another Michigan native, Newman can help the Spartans' most obvious need outside of quarterback, which is the offensive line. The graduate transfer played at Bloomfield Hills (Mich.) Brother Rice in high school and has been at Holy Cross his entire career thus far. The 6-foot-4, 310 pound tackle has been a three-year starter and has one year of eligibility left.

At left tackle, Newman has been first team all-Patriot League for three years straight and was an FCS first team All-American in 2022. Newman was the anchor on the offensive line which helped Holy Cross to the third-best rushing offense in FCS, averaging 264.2 yards per game on the ground this season. The Crusaders also had one of the best pass-protecting O-lines in the country, giving up just 20 sacks in 2023.

Newman was recruited as a guard out of high school, so he is familiar playing different positions on the offensive line. His versatility will make him a commodity in the transfer portal, and the Spartans should act fast to try to land him. New offensive line coach Jim Michalczik proved at Oregon State his ability to develop a strong offensive line, and Newman could be his first new piece.

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