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Michigan State confirms Penn State transfer Ken Talley has joined program

On3-Social-Profile_GRAYby:On3 Staff Report•09/12/22
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Michigan State coach Mel Tucker has mined the NCAA transfer portal very successfully since taking the Spartans' job in 2020. (Adam Hagy / Getty Images)

Michigan State has added a major transfer, the program officially confirmed Monday. Penn State linebacker Ken Talley has transferred to Michigan State, as reported midway through last week by the Detroit Free Press.

Talley was a highly regarded prospect in the 2022 class, hailing as a four-star edge prospect from Philadelphia.

He enrolled at Penn State but entered the NCAA transfer portal on Aug. 15. It’s unclear if he’ll be eligible to play immediately.

Rated as the No. 353 overall player in the On3 Consensus Recruiting Rankings, Talley fielded offers from the likes of Baylor, Florida, Michigan and Michigan State, among others. He signed with Penn State in the early signing period in December.

Michigan State continues to mine the NCAA transfer portal

The Ken Talley transfer is just the latest for a program that has been a hotbed for successful transfers since coach Mel Tucker took over the program in 2020. One of the most successful transfers Tucker has taken in so far was running back Kenneth Walker III, who transferred in from Wake Forest ahead of the 2021 campaign and proceeded to take home the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best running back.

Walker is far from the only transfer to make a major impact, though.

It’s also doesn’t appear Michigan State intends to slow down in the transfer portal any time soon. The Spartans have landed double-digit transfers now since the end of the 2021 season.

Those transfers?

Running back Jalen Berger (Wisconsin), cornerback Ameer Speed (Georgia), linebacker Aaron Brule (Mississippi State), running back Jarek Broussard (Colorado), tight end Daniel Barker (Illinois), linebacker Jacoby Windmon (UNLV), offensive lineman Brian Greene (Washington State) and kicker Ben Patton (Auburn). Now transfer Ken Talley can be added to that list, officially.