Michigan State running back Jaelon Barbarin enters NCAA transfer portal

Michigan State running back Jaelon Barbarin has entered the NCAA transfer portal, On3 has learned.

Barbarin enters the transfer portal following just one lone season with the Spartans, preserving his redshirt last year after making one appearance. Receiving one carry for one yard against Iowa in Week 5 before suffering a leg injury that kept him out of the remainder of the 2023 season.

Ahead of spring practice for the Spartans, Barbarin was not on the team’s roster for reasons that are unknown, but now he will officially seek a new program to call home this offseason as the Jonathan Smith era begins in East Lansing.

Barbarin was a three-star prospect out of Chaminade High School in Simi Valley (CA), where he was ranked the No. 902 overall player and No. 67 running in the country for the 2023 recruiting cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Barbarin had offers from other programs like Washington State, Kansas State, UNLV, and San Jose State coming out of high school. Standing at 5-foot-9, 185 pounds, he’s regarded as a speedy running back who ran a 10.37-second 100-meeter dash for track in high school.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

Michigan State transfer portal activity

Barbarin joins offensive lineman Braden Miller as the first Spartans’ players to enter the transfer portal for the spring transfer window. Brining the transfer portal departure total to 20 players so far this offseason as of 8:30 a.m. ET on April 16.

The Spartans have added 11 players in the transfer portal so far this offseason, and given their gains and losses through the portal, Michigan State ranks No. 51 on On3’s 2024 College Football Team Transfer Portal Rankings with an Index Score of -3. Not the strongest inaugural offseason for new head coach Jonathan Smith.

Michigan State’s biggest losses have been specifically at the quarterback position with Noah Kim, Sam Leavitt, and Katin Houser all departing for new programs. But with former North Dakota quarterback Tommy Schuster joining the Spartans this offseason along with Oregon State QB Aidan Chiles tagging along with Smith to East Lansing, Michigan State can still be rock solid under center this upcoming season.