Michigan State football lands big-time DL transfer Brandon Lane

Days after losing Derrick Harmon, Bai Jobe, and Andrew Depaepe to the transfer portal, Michigan State football landed a star.

Just days after losing guys like Derrick Harmon, Andrew Depaepe, and Bai Jobe to the transfer portal, Jonathan Smith and Michigan State football picked up a huge commitment from big-time defensive line transfer Brandon Lane.

BREAKING: #MichiganState has landed transfer portal DT Brandon Lane.

As a sophomore at Stephen F. Austin, Lane accumulated 44 tackles (6.5 TFL) in 2023. He had interest from 28+ schools & just took an official visit to #Washington.

Confirmed by @mzenitz. @PeteThamel 1st. pic.twitter.com/fXHlIXQRig

— Justin Thind (@JustinThind) April 26, 2024

Lane just wrapped up an impressive sophomore season with Stephen F. Austin, racking up 44 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. He was one of the brightest stars on the defensive line in the portal and, according to reports, he heard from over two dozen programs. Some of the teams that were reaching out to him were Michigan, Florida State, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Washington, UCLA, and Texas A&M. He was fresh off an official visit to Washington before committing to the Spartans.

This should ease Spartan fans’ minds as he fills a position of need and makes up for the losses the team suffered earlier this week to the portal. While he’s just one guy and Smith will likely have to keep digging in the portal, he’s a massive addition.

The defensive line still has some solid pieces returning as guys like D’Quan Douse and Quindarius Dunnigan showed flashes during the Spring Showcase. Pair those newcomers with the likes of Avery Dunn, Khris Bogle, Maverick Hansen, Jalen Thompson, and Alex VanSumeren and the group is starting to take shape nicely. There’s still room for more additions and I wouldn’t be shocked if Smith added another defensive lineman or two from the portal.

The fact that Lane drew interest from nearly 30 programs and Michigan State football was able to seal the deal shows what kind of pull Smith has and how players are buying into what he’s building in East Lansing.

Heck of a response by Smith and Co. to the transfers out earlier this week.