Latest on former Michigan State decommit Brandon Lane

Brandon Lane is keeping his options open.

The former Michigan State decommit and Stephen F. Austin transfer is one of the top defensive tackles still available. Before committing to the Spartans, Washington, TCU, Oklahoma, Indiana and Texas A&M were in the mix.

Lane told On3 he’s wrapping up his Louisville visit on Saturday. He will be at Michigan from May 19th to 20th before spending May 22nd to 23rd at Wisconsin.

However, sources tell On3 he’s not on the board at Michigan or Wisconsin. Georgia State is in the mix.

The 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive tackle tallied 44 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss in 2023. A former South Dakota State transfer, Brandon Lane posted 56 career tackles, 2.5 sacks and a fumble recovery during his time at Stephen F. Austin.

What is the transfer portal?

The spring transfer portal window lasted just 15 days, a crammed period that could reshape the 2024 college football offseason. The portal tool was launched in 2018 to allow athletes to be more involved in the process of transferring. Athletes must notify institutions of their intent to transfer. Each school’s compliance team has 48 hours to put a name into the portal. 

After an athlete is officially in the portal, there is no rush on making a decision as long as they are properly enrolled at a new institution in time for fall camp. Commitments do not have to be made during the 15-day window. Grad transfers are allowed to enter the portal at any time. 

Roster retention has been crucial for programs, with NIL playing a vital role in keeping rosters together in the new age of college football. Exactly 645 FBS players transferred in last year’s spring window. In one week of the 2024 spring transfer portal, 497 FBS scholarship players entered.