Jonathan Smith announces 3 Spartans no longer with the program

Jonathan Smith spoke to the media on Monday and revealed three players who are no longer with the Michigan State football program.

Spring ball begins for Michigan State football on Tuesday and with that comes a lot of excitement for a new era. However, that excitement was dampened slightly on Monday as Jonathan Smith announced three Spartans who are no longer with the program.

Three Spartans are no longer with the program

Jaelon Barbarin is the first of three Spartans no longer with the program. This is a significant loss for MSU as he had a chance to compete for playing time this year. He was a three-star running back from the 2023 class but struggled to see the field as a true freshman. He recorded just one snap against Iowa this season, running the ball for one yard. Even if he didn’t contribute last year, Barbarin is an exceptional athlete with elite speed. Losing him is no doubt a tough loss for MSU.

The Spartans also lost a veteran linebacker in Ma’a Gaoteote. He was a four-star linebacker out of the 2021 class. He was a surprise recruit at the time, as he flipped his commitment from USC to Michigan State on signing day. Gaoteote was a contributor in East Lansing and recorded 15 tackles and a forced fumble during his first two years at MSU.

Last was walk-on Aubrey Dawkins who joined the program in 2020 but never saw any playing time throughout his four seasons at Michigan State.

It is unclear why these players are no longer with the program at this time. They could be choosing to enter the transfer portal, but that has yet to be confirmed.

Regardless of their reasons, I hope they find success wherever their journey takes them. I don’t think Smith needs to panic and find replacements for any of these players immediately, but finding an extra running back and linebacker in the portal later this summer may not be a bad idea. It all depends on how the rest of the team looks throughout spring ball.