Michigan State 4-star true freshman QB, 2 more OL to enter transfer portal

New Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith had his first team meeting Monday morning but the group of players looking elsewhere continues to grow.

True freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt, a former four-star recruit who appeared in four games this season, and offensive linemen Ethan Boyd and Kevin Wigenton are all planning to enter the transfer portal when it officially opens on Dec. 4.

Boyd made the announcement himself Monday night on social media while Leavitt and Wigenton shared reports indicating they plan to do so.

It’s the latest wave of potential roster turnover for the Spartans on Monday. Starting right tackle Spencer Brown and linebacker Darius Snow both entered the portal as graduate transfers earlier in the day while redshirt freshman quarterback Katin Houser, who started the final seven games this season, announced on social media he plans to put his name in on Dec. 4. Graduate transfers can enter the portal at any time while others must wait for the windows to open.

Although entering the portal doesn’t require players to transfer, it appears Leavitt is leaving after showing promise in limited action this fall. He told Spartans Illustrated that, being an Oregon native, “there are some hard feelings” about Smith not offering him a scholarship coming out of high school and that was mentioned during their meeting on Monday. Leavitt could remain in East Lansing but that looks unlikely as he told the website “Yeah, I’m kinda just done.”

Leavitt, 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, was the Gatorade Oregon Football Player of the Year as a senior and flipped his commitment from Washington State to Michigan State shortly before signing day last year.

After two-year starter Payton Thorne transferred to Auburn following spring practice, Leavitt arrived in East Lansing in the summer to a different outlook in the quarterback room. Redshirt junior Noah Kim won the starting job coming out of fall camp but was benched midseason for Houser. Kim sat out the rest of the season due to injury while Houser posted a 2-5 record starting the final seven games as Michigan State finished 4-8.

With Kim unavailable, Leavitt became the backup and provided a spark in relief appearances while throwing a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown passes – one in a loss at Minnesota and the other was a game-winner at home against Nebraska. However, Michigan State’s usage of the young talent could have been handled differently and Leavitt’s appearance against the Cornhuskers marked his fourth game, which is the cap on how many a player can appear in during one season and still redshirt.

Following the win against Nebraska, Leavitt said he was unsure if he would continue to play or sit but that question was answered the following week at Ohio State. Leavitt shut it down for the season and that left Houser as the only available scholarship quarterback the final three games as walk-on Andrew Schorfhaar made two appearances.

Leavitt, who has four years of eligibility remaining, finished the season 15-for-23 passing for 139 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions and ran for 67 yards. He logged only 45 snaps over the four games, including just four in a loss to Maryland and seven against Nebraska.

Boyd, 6-foot-7 and 320 pounds, is a former three-star prospect from East Lansing who didn’t play as a true freshman and was mostly on the field for special teams last year. He made three starts at right tackle this season and logged 313 offensive snaps while appearing in all 12 games. Boyd has two years of eligibility left.

Wigenton, 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, was a three-star prospect from New Jersey and part of the same 2021 recruiting class Boyd signed with. He also didn’t get on the field his first year and appeared briefly in four games last season before becoming part of the rotation. Wigenton, who has two years of eligibility remaining, made six starts at right guard and played 501 offensive snaps over all 12 games this fall.

If Houser and Leavitt both transfer out, Kim would be positioned to be the lone returning scholarship quarterback while the Spartans have a commitment from 2024 three-star prospect Henry Hasselbeck.

There’s also a chance Smith could dip into the portal and bring an Oregon State quarterback with him to East Lansing. Aidan Chiles, a former four-star recruit from California, has appeared in nine games this season for the Beavers and thrown four touchdown passes with three scores on the ground.

Smith already brough five on-field assistants with him from Oregon State, including offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren and offensive line coach Jim Michalczik.