Freedom and chaos: How the transfer portal is changing the sports landscape at Michigan and Michigan State – MLive.com

Mel Tucker is using it for a roster overhaul. Juwan Howard added key pieces to a Big Ten champion. And even Tom Izzo has dipped into the garbage can for a new point guard.

What used to be a drawn-out and complicated process is now just a click or phone call away. Jim Harbaugh was one of the early voices advocating for student-athlete empowerment and flexibility, and the NCAAs transfer portal has provided just that.

That means Michigan and Michigan States football and basketball programs are part of an ever-changing landscape in college athletics, where player movement happens daily.

And that includes within the rivalry itself.

I know my worth, said former Bay City linebacker Ben VanSumeren, who transferred from U-M to MSU. I know that I could choose some place thats going to give me the opportunity to eat on an every down basis and Im not going to sell myself short.

Ben VanSumeren, center, poses with his parents, Cindy and Jeff VanSumeren, after signing his letter of intent to play football at the University of Michigan. (Andrew Dodson | MLive.com)

VanSummeren ultimately called it a business decision, but his move from Ann Arbor to East Lansing is part of a new wave, one that is forcing coaches to change and adapt.

The Spartans have added 19 transfers, while 27 players have entered the portal since last November. Down the road, Michigan football has had just five newcomers arrive via transfer, but more than 40 have departed in less than three years.

I just want everyone to understand, says Michigan States Tucker, that were going to do what we have to do to build our team.

The basketball numbers arent as staggering Michigan has lost three players, gained four; MSU has lost four, gained two but theres certainly been an impact on both programs.

While supporters say the new freedoms are long overdue, traditionalists question whether they make it too easy for young players to jump ship at the first sign of adversity.

The transfer portal streamlines the process and gives athletes more power. They no longer need a coachs approval. In fact, athletes dont even have to notify them of their intentions.

Before it went live on Oct. 15, 2018, athletes had to seek permission to contact another school and be released from their letter of intent. Coaches also could attempt to block athletes from leaving. Now its just a message to the schools compliance office.

From there, basic information is input: name, school, sport, NCAA ID, if theyre on scholarship, if theyre a graduate student, whether they want to be contacted by other schools, along with an athletes email and phone number.

Once an athlete is entered into the portal, coaches are free to contact them. That simplification has helped everyone, according to Michigan State director of compliance/eligibility Dan Scheid.

It was just really confusing and you almost had to be in compliance and work in compliance for several years to really understand it, Scheid said. I dont think coaches ever fully grasped it for the most part.

Entering the portal doesnt mean an athlete has to transfer. However, their scholarship can be pulled the following academic semester and coaches have no obligation to let them return to the team, even if they change their mind about leaving.

Michigan State running back Connor Heyward took that chance two years ago, entering the portal in September 2019 after losing his starting job.

I was taking visits everywhere, Heyward recalled. I was going a lot of places and there was a lot of nice places that I liked.

Michigan State running back Connor Heyward (11) tries to break a tackle by Tulsa linebacker Diamon Cannon (6) during their college football game at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, on Aug. 30, 2019. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

Heyward, the son of the late NFL fullback Craig Ironhead Heyward and the younger brother of Steelers All-Pro defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, had every intention of leaving Michigan State. It just didnt happen.

After Mark Dantonios abrupt retirement and promises that Tucker would give players a clean slate, Heyward stuck with the Spartans. Whatever awkwardness Heyward anticipated from entering the portal midseason then returning under a new coach didnt exist, he said.

The portal, its a weird dynamic, Heyward said. Its like high school recruiting again. Its just coaches hitting you up. You really get to make a decision what you think is best for me and I believe coming back to Michigan State was best for me and Im glad that I made that decision.

The Michigan basketball program found the starting point guard for its Big Ten championship team, a player who would lead the conference in assists. Of course, Mike Smith was brought in partly because Michigan had lost a point guard via the portal.

Michigan guard Mike Smith (12) drives against Michigan State guard Rocket Watts (2) in the second half of their Big Ten basketball game at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, on March 7, 2021. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

In Howards two seasons, hes had three players transfer and gained four. The math works out for a net positive and so do the on-court results.

In the spring of 2020, following Howards first season on the job, three Wolverines left. Cole Bajema had barely played as a freshman. Sophomore Colin Castleton was in and out the rotation and flashed potential, but Michigan had another center, top-40 recruit Hunter Dickinson, coming in. Sophomore David DeJulius was often the first man off the bench for Michigan and poised to take over the starting point guard role as a junior. But instead, DeJulius left, eventually landing at Cincinnati.

Seeking an experienced point guard, Howard snagged Columbias Smith, who would be immediately eligible as a graduate transfer. Michigan also brought in Chaundee Brown, whod spent the previous three seasons as a starter for Wake Forest.

Smith ran Michigans offense brilliantly, averaging a Big Ten-best 5.4 assists per game. Brown accepted a new role as sixth man and thrived, averaging nine points while shooting 42 percent from 3, just like Smith. They blended seamlessly into Michigans locker room and helped the Wolverines win the regular-season title, earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and reach the Elite Eight.

Michigan coach Juwan Howard celebrates winning a basketball game against Purdue at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

You cant just bring anyone into the locker room, Howard said this past April. You have a certain comfort level and the guys develop that brotherhood (over two or three years). And heres one guy coming in and from the other program that he was playing for he may have been that marquee, that No. 1 option. Hes thinking, OK, Im walking into this new school, and its all about me, me, me, I, I, I, and my stats.

You have to make sure you choose the right ones, because it will affect your locker room and become a toxic environment (if you dont). And thats something I wanted to avoid. I felt it would be unfair to the other guys, our juniors and seniors who had already been there.

Can Howard catch lightning in a bottle a second year in a row? Well find out. DeVante Jones, a Coastal Carolina transfer, is likely to be Michigans starting point guard.

More than three dozen Michigan football players have entered their name into the NCAA transfer portal since it launched. The list includes players from every position group, on both sides of the ball, and from every Michigan recruiting class since 2015.

High-profile names such as Brandon Peters, Aubrey Solomon, Tarik Black and Zach Charbonnet, all four-star recruits, are among the departures.

And while just one player from the 2015 class (Rueben Jones) took advantage of the portal, things have picked up steadily since then. Seven players from Michigans 2016 recruiting class left via the portal, while 16 players from the 2017 class some high-profile walk-ons who earned playing time in Ann Arbor departed. In fact, the first four players from Michigan to utilize the NCAA transfer portal were 2017 recruits.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh walks the field during their college football game against Rutgers at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

Since then, the Wolverines have experienced a series of defections from players in the 2018, 19 and 20 classes. Some because they lost playing time, others because they wanted a fresh start with a new coaching staff.

Since Jan. 1, Michigan has had 14 players enter the portal, with all finding new homes. While playing time was a factor, the Wolverines also were coming off an unsatisfactory 2-4 season marred by injuries, opt-outs and struggles on defense. The problems triggered head coach Jim Harbaugh to make wide-scale changes to his staff, choosing to dismiss defensive coordinator Don Brown and replace five other assistant coaches.

Some big-name players on the offensive side turned heads this year when they opted to leave, including quarterback Joe Milton, receiver Giles Jackson and running back Zach Charbonnet. They were guys who at one time started, and produced, for the Wolverines.

I think its fair Ive always thought it was, Harbaugh, asked about one-time transfer legislation, told MLive this summer. Whats not going to change (is) its still a meritocracy. By your talent and by your effort, youre known. I think (for) guys with above-average talent and above-average work ethic, things are going to work out really good for them.

Of the more than 40 players from Michigan who entered the transfer portal since October 2018, 27 of them ended up at another Power Five school. Meanwhile, Michigan has gained a far fewer number of players from the portal than it watched enter.

Just five have transferred to Michigan in the portal era, with one (long snapper Trey Harper) walking on and one (Willie Allen) departing before ever playing a snap. Two others, quarterback Alan Bowman and defensive lineman Jordan Whittley, announced plans to transfer to Michigan for the 2021 season.

The only portal success story for Michigan thus far has been Mike Danna, a graduate transfer from Central Michigan who contributed along the defensive line in 2019 and was a fifth-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2020 NFL Draft.

In the Football Bowl Subdivision, the percentage of all transfers increased from 12.7 percent in 2016 to 14.7 in 2019 while in mens basketball it moved from 27.4 percent in 2017 to 29.9 in 2019. Basketball has the highest transfer rate among mens sports.

The most recent NCAA data is only for the 2018-19 school year and doesnt reflect the surge in portal entries due to the one-time transfer waiver approved in April for the five sports that didnt previously allow it: football, baseball, mens and womens basketball and mens hockey. There were 2,510 FBS players in the portal as of late June, according to 247Sports.

Opponents of the transfer portal wonder if the ease of access just encourages athletes to leave at the first sign of trouble. If a player is no longer in favor with the coaching staff, or has lost playing time, they have an opportunity to depart, no questions asked.

That doesnt sit well with guys like Michigan States Izzo, who thinks many players hamper their development by switching programs instead of fighting through adversity.

Brown, Michigan footballs former defensive coordinator, echoed that sentiment in a 2019 interview.

Im not sure its good for anybody, Brown, then 63 years old, said. Face adversity. Adversity introduces a man to himself. So Don Brown has a problem with a player? Im out. Is that teaching a young a man anything? Is he learning anything from it?

The effects of the transfer portal were slow to appear within Michigan State basketball.

The coaching staff relied almost entirely on high school prospects and the roster remained stable, with Spartans going nearly five full years -- an eternity in modern college basketball without a scholarship player exiting the program. And since the portals inception until 2021, Marquettes Joey Hauser was the only incoming transfer.

But starting with this offseason, winds of change swept through East Lansing.

A subpar 2020-21 season in which the Spartans nearly missed the NCAA Tournament, plus the advent of immediate eligibility, has brought on significant roster turnover. Four players left via the portal: Rocket Watts, Foster Loyer and Thomas Kithier and walk-on Jack Hoiberg. That equals the total number of departures of the previous six seasons combined.

Michigan State mens basketball coach Tom Izzo looks on during a game. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

Michigan State addressed its biggest roster issue for the upcoming season, point guard, by going to the portal and bringing in Northeasterns Tyson Walker. In Izzos quarter century-plus as head coach, hes never relied on a transfer to start and run the teams offense.

Izzo has been vocal about his opposition to the portal, the rising number of transfers in the sport and the one-time transfer rule. That means his program likely will never be one that relies heavily on transfers. But in this new environment, ignoring the portal completely isnt an option, either.

After Dantonio retired following 13 seasons leading the program, Tucker was hired in Feb. 2020. The typical attrition that occurs under a new staff was delayed because of the pandemic, which wiped out spring practice as part of a fractured offseason.

But following back-to-back lopsided losses in November, Tucker made it clear roster changes were expected. Twenty-seven players have entered the portal since, including 10 after spring practice ended in April.

During the year-plus in which the portal was live and Dantonio was leading the Spartans, there was only one scholarship addition from it in Western Michigan receiver Jayden Reed.

That approach has changed drastically under a new staff.

Following a 2-5 debut season, Tuckers goal of reshaping the roster heavily involves the portal. Michigan State added 19 transfers 15 scholarship players and four walk-ons including six midyear additions in January who participated in spring practice. That group includes five scholarship cornerbacks and three scholarship linebackers critical positions of need after both were heavily depleted by portal departures. Those are among several transfers on both sides of the ball that likely will be asked to take over key roles in the fall.

Michigan State coach Mel Tucker tries to pump up players before their Big Ten football game against Rutgers at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, on Oct. 24, 2020. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

Among Michigan States portal departures and gains since Tuckers first season, the background and experience vary from walk-ons to top-60 recruits, from starters with four seasons under their belt to those who havent played a snap in college. Also of note, of the 27 Spartans who have left via the portal since November, six transferred to Power Five programs.

Of the 19 portal additions for Michigan State, 14 came from Power Five schools. That includes Khary Crump, a 2020 cornerback who started his college career with Arizona.

Following his freshman year with the Wildcats and changes within the coaching staff, the California native entered the transfer portal. Crump did so without appearing in a single game for Arizona and knowing the recruiting process would be different than the first time around.

Its not the same as high school because its nerve-wracking, especially when youre a freshman because all I was able to present was practice film because obviously I left before I could produce any game film, Crump said. Just real nerve wracking just hoping what I have is good enough.

Some players enter the portal already knowing their next school or have options to choose from. Others are confronted with the reality of a crowded transfer market.

Crump fielded interest from Pac-12 and Mountain West schools, then talked to Michigan State secondary coach Harlon Barnett. That resulted in an offer and Crump, who knew there could be limited opportunities, didnt hesitate.

Thats why I had to commit right on the spot, he said.

Crump, who has family in Michigan, committed to the Spartans on Feb. 27 and officially joined the program in May as part of a unique position group. The Spartans lost four cornerbacks to the portal since November and Crump is one of five scholarship transfer additions.

I know what Im here for, Crump said. Its to work.

Tucker believes coaches should get used to the portal.

Its something that is here to stay, said Tucker. Im comfortable with it. Theres opportunities for us to improve our team and thats what recruiting is all about, so we embrace it.

The NCAA promoted the portal as a way of streamlining, bringing transparency to the process and giving athletes more power. However, there also are complications.

Athletes were granted an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA due to COVID-19, so coaches are facing a roster crunch. At the FBS level, football seniors who return in 2021 arent counted against the 85-man scholarship limit. But no relief has been provided for future seasons and that will affect recruiting classes as well as those already on the team.

Meanwhile, football coaches barring a few loopholes like backdating midyear enrollees are also still limited to 25 initial counters (new scholarship players) each cycle from both recruits and transfers.

I think the past model was all about development, Todd Berry, executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, said. I think the new model, which the coaches are having to obviously relegate themselves to, is the idea that basically Im just trying to assimilate a team for this next year. What Im hearing back from our coaches across at all levels, especially those ones that are paying attention to this, is that next year theyre going to save their scholarships back for the transfer portal.

While theres a stress on coaches to manage an ever-changing roster, the scholarship crunch and overall stress of the transfer portal is being felt by players and recruits.

Daylen Baldwin was holed up in a hotel room by himself in early June, having just entered the transfer portal after deciding to leave Jackson State. The uncertainty was too much for the Southfield, Michigan, native and he turned off his phone.

I just needed time to relax and understand, and think to myself, Baldwin said. Understand what I was doing and the situation I was leaving. It was definitely kind of scary, but I didnt have to wait (too long).

The next day, Baldwin says, he turned on his phone to messages and calls from about 25 to 30 coaches. He already had transferred once, from Morgan State to Jackson State in 2018.

A few weeks later, Baldwin was invited to work out in front of coaches at Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan. The Buckeyes and Wolverines later offered him a scholarship and even though Baldwin grew up an Ohio State fan, he ultimately chose Michigan.

Baldwin believes he has the opportunity for more playing time and to make a greater impact with the Wolverines, who welcomed him to campus in July. That fresh start and immediate opportunity is thanks to the transfer portal, something that didnt exist just a few years ago.

I aint going to lie to you. I was telling my dad and my homeboys back at home who were telling me I was going to get bigger offers, Ill probably get something in the MAC, Baldwin said. I ended up working out for some of those (Big Ten) guys, they offered me and it was definitely a surprise to me.

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Freedom and chaos: How the transfer portal is changing the sports landscape at Michigan and Michigan State - MLive.com