Michigan State football: Derrick Harmon sets official visits to Auburn, Ohio State

Michigan State football defensive tackle transfer Derrick Harmon will be checking out a couple of big-time programs this weekend.

The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind for Michigan State football. Since the hiring of new head coach Jonathan Smith, the Spartans have seen 18 players enter the transfer portal. As expected, that is one of the highest totals among the entire nation.

That said, every player that hits the portal is not expected to officially transfer out. A common consensus is that we will see 25-50 percent of those players withdraw from the portal and return to MSU as long as there is an open spot for them within the new coaching staff. The first name withdrawn was linebacker Darius Snow who announced his return via social media on Dec. 7.

One of the most sought-after Spartans in the portal is starting defensive tackle Derrick Harmon. The 6-foor-5, 360-pound defensive tackle from Detroit has set some official visits with some big-time programs.

Michigan State transfer defensive lineman Derrick Harmon is spending Friday at Auburn, a source tells @On3sports.

He will also visit Ohio State this weekend. https://t.co/HAnkd2k2Ji pic.twitter.com/D4I6M392ew

— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) December 8, 2023

On Friday, Harmon will be spending time at Auburn. This would not be the first time these two schools have traded players. Harold Joiner came over from the Tigers after the 2020 season but most notably, starting quarterback Payton Thorne transferred to Auburn after hitting the portal in April 2023.

Finishing off the weekend, Harmon will be down in Columbus visiting the Ohio State Buckeyes. I’m assuming Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is looking to bolster that line after losing to rival Michigan three years in a row.

On the West Coast, Oregon and Washington are two schools to keep an eye on and both are making pushes to get Harmon on campus.

There aren’t many players Harmon’s size that move as well as he does. Harmon could simply fall down and create a pile that disrupts an entire play simply from his size alone.

Between these four schools, the competition will be very high. Smith and Co. will have their hands full if they want Harmon to withdraw from the portal.

We should hear more in the coming days.