Since new Michigan State Spartans head coach Jonathan Smith has arrived, 21 players have entered the transfer portal with the newest addition being starting tight end Maliq Carr along with offensive lineman Kristian Phillips.
The redshirt junior was originally a transfer from the Purdue Boilermakers, and he was also a part of Tom Izzo’s Spartan basketball team in 2021. Previously a four-star recruit, the 6-foot-6 Carr has enough size and athleticism to be a threat to enter the 2024 NFL Draft. While he lacked consistency, Carr’s flashes have left some Michigan State fans upset with his departure.
I think Maliq Carr leaving is disappointing me the most, he’s gonna have a huge year wherever he ends up
— Daily MSU (@daily_msu) December 10, 2023
Maliq Carr man..
— Nicholas Richardson (@Slicknickshady) December 9, 2023
Carr had 352 yards and three touchdowns on three receptions this year, and those 352 yards were good enough to be fourth-most in the Big Ten among tight ends. All of those numbers were career highs for Carr. He has amassed 696 yards and five touchdowns on 54 catches in his Michigan State career.
On top of posting career-high numbers in every major statistic, Carr won Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after his career-best performance against now-fired Tom Allen’s Indiana Hoosiers. Carr posted 129 yards and found the endzone twice, one of which was the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter, on seven receptions.
Potential Landing Spots for Former Michigan State Spartans’ Tight End Maliq Carr
Purdue Spring Football Practice
As a recruit coming out of high school, Carr had several Power Five offers. From high-level Big Ten schools like Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan to other big-name schools around the country like Georgia, LSU and Notre Dame. Originally a wide receiver, Carr’s options as a tight end might look a little different.
One potential landing spot for the former receiver might be the Michigan Wolverines. While there are no official talks of this potential move, Carr is a Michigan native who head coach Jim Harbaugh and company are likely very familiar with, especially considering they offered Carr out of high school. Carr’s mother was a national-level track star, and one of their other children, Jeremiah Beasley, is a Michigan commit.
Before originally accepting Purdue’s offer out of high school, Carr had narrowed his choices between the Boilermakers and Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs. Although it is unclear whether Smart would have a spot for Carr on his Bulldogs squad, Carr has showed an interest in playing in Athens.
Maliq Carr is Just 1 of the Many Michigan State Spartan Players to Enter the Portal in Mass Exodus since Jonathan Smith’s Arrival
A potential reason for Carr’s departure is the fact that new Michigan State Spartans’ head coach Jonathan Smith hosted his former Oregon State tight end Jack Velling on a visit. Fellow tight end Evan Morris also entered the transfer portal. Carr is just one of 21 Spartans to enter the transfer portal since Smith and his new staff arrived.
In an article from MLive, Smith detailed the way he plans to recruit at his new job.
“The best way is to hop in a car,” Smith said last week, “and be able to be (a) three-, four-hour radius and there is a bunch of football. … The landscape in college football has changes … so I’m not saying we’re going to be exclusive to that but we want to build a foundation from that.”
Despite not having many midwest ties himself, Smith has hired staff with those necessary ties. The use of those connections will be imperative, as there are a lot of roster spots to fill. The Michigan State players to enter the portal so far are:
- Quarterbacks Noah Kim, Katin Houser and Same Leavitt
- Offensive Lineman Spencer Brown (Oklahoma), Kristian Phillips, Brandon Baldwin, Geno VanDeMark, Kevin Wigenton and Ethan Boyd
- Wide receivers Christian Fitzpatrick, Tyrell Henry, Jaron Glover and Sebastian Brown
- Tight Ends Evan Morris and Maliq Carr
- Defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, Dre Butler, Zion Young and Khris Bogle
- Cornerback Charles Brantley
- Punter Michael O’Shaughnessy
Even if Smith is able to get some players from Oregon State to follow him to East Lansing, there is a lot of work to do in terms of filling out the roster. Smith hired 11 staff members recently, but has yet to hire a defensive coordinator. The Spartans are down to seven committed 2024 recruits, which isn’t good enough to be top 100 in the nation.
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