Former Michigan State DB Dillon Tatum transfers to Northwestern
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Former Michigan State defensive back Dillon Tatum announced on Saturday that he will transfer to Northwestern. The redshirt junior has two years of eligibility remaining.
“First off, I’d like to thank God for the blessing that came from this new beginning,” Tatum wrote in a post released to Twitter Saturday afternoon. “To all of the 60 programs that reached out to recruit me, thank you so much for believing in me. Also, I graduated yesterday as a SPARTAN!”
Tatum entered the transfer portal on April 21 after spending three seasons at Michigan State. He logged three tackles in last season’s opener against Florida Atlantic before suffering a season-ending injury.
The Farmington Hills, Mich., native recorded 45 tackles (2.5 for a loss) and seven pass break-ups in nine games (including eight starts at cornerback) as a sophomore in 2023. He missed the final three games of that season with injury.
Tatum logged 14 tackles in 12 games as a freshman in 2022. He appeared in 118 defensive snaps and 144 special teams plays that season. Tatum started at cornerback in the season finale against Penn State.
A former four-star recruit out of West Bloomfield (Mich.) High School, Tatum was the No. 306 player, No. 9 athlete and No. 9 player from Michigan in the 2022 class, per the On3 Industry Rankings. Tatum originally committed to head coach Mel Tucker.
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Tatum will reunite with former position coach Harlon Barnett at Northwestern. Barnett left Michigan State in 2023 after coaching defensive backs for the Spartans from 2007-17 and 2020-23. He assumed interim head coaching duties following Tucker’s firing during the 2023 season.
Northwestern finished 4-8 (2-7) last season, good for 16th in the Big Ten standings.
Tatum becomes the third of Michigan State’s 15 spring portal entries to find a new home. Rush end Anthony Jones (UCLA) and preferred walk-on defensive back DJ Kennard (South Dakota) both announced their commitments on Thursday.
Four scholarship transfers remain uncommitted: cornerback Caleb Coley, rush end James Schott and wide receivers Austin Clay and Jaylan Brown.
Eight preferred walk-on transfers remain uncommitted: linebacker Carter Enyard, offensive lineman Jacob Merritt, tight end Reeves Taylor, defensive back Shawn Smith, wide receiver Dyson Sims, defensive lineman Mason Nickel, offensive lineman Kyler Brunan and long snapper Jack Carson Wentz.
