Michigan State football: 5 transfers who could be All-Big Ten in 2024

Michigan State football is bringing in plenty of new faces in 2024 and there are a handful who could make an All-Big Ten team.

It’s no secret that Michigan State football will be fielding almost an entirely new team for 2024.

The Spartans lost dozens of players (and only a few projected starters) to the transfer portal but they also added 24. While the losses of guys like Sam Leavitt, Jaden Mangham, Derrick Harmon, Simeon Barrow, Maliq Carr, and Geno VanDeMark hurt this offseason, the additions will more than make up for it.

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With so many new faces and projected starters coming from the portal, there are bound to be some breakout candidates. These five are my favorites to make one of the All-Big Ten teams in 2024.

1. Aidan Chiles, QB

Are we really surprised that I went with the top-ranked transfer in the Spartans’ class? He was No. 8 overall out of thousands of transfers and he was also the No. 2 quarterback in the portal. Aidan Chiles followed Jonathan Smith to Michigan State where he knew he’d have a chance to win the starting job and with Sam Leavitt, Katin Houser, and Noah Kim all transferring out, that was a lock.

Now Chiles has gone from talented backup as a true freshman to the QB1 of a major Big Ten program as a sophomore. And he has all the tools to be one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten. Don’t be shocked when the dual-threat has the best season of any Spartan quarterback since Brian Lewerke in 2017 or even Connor Cook.

2. Tanner Miller, OL

Seeing that 247Sports only has Tanner Miller rated an 88 as a transfer shocks me. He was an All-American selection in 2023 by ESPN and was voted first-team All-Pac-12 by the media. And yet that’s apparently not enough to earn four-star transfer status.

Anyways, Michigan State football has struggled in the trenches for years, so adding one of Oregon State’s best offensive linemen in the portal to lead the group is going to pay major dividends. I expect to see Miller start at center this season, be a vocal leader, and become one of the best interior offensive linemen in the Big Ten. If he can be an All-American at Oregon State, he can make an All-Big Ten team.

3. Jack Velling, TE

Yes, we have another Oregon State transfer here. Jack Velling was a productive tight end for Oregon State last season and actually for the past two years as Brian Wozniak has been a master developer of talent at the position. He’s only going to make Velling better in 2024.

Velling had 29 catches for 438 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023, but I’m fully expecting all of those numbers to increase a healthy amount in 2024 and that should mean the talented tight end is named to an All-Big Ten team. I would probably put money on this happening.

4. Wayne Matthews III, LB

Finally, we have our first defender on the list and it’s Wayne Matthews III from Old Dominion.

In my opinion, he’s the most overlooked transfer in Michigan State’s class and he’s going to shock some people this season. I’m fully expecting him to start for the Spartans and if he even flirts with his production from 2023, he’s going to be a star. At Old Dominion this past season, he had 135 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, three pass breakups, and three forced fumbles. That’s what you call elite production in 13 games.

I think he’s going to have a Jacoby Windmon in the first few games of 2022 type of impact for the Spartans. That’s an All-Big Ten linebacker.

5. D’Quan Douse, DT

This last one was tough to choose because I really like Ed Woods, Nikai Martinez, and Ben Roberts, but I feel like I have to go with my gut and what we all witnessed during the Spring Showcase.

With that being said, I’m picking Georgia Tech transfer D’Quan Douse.

This might be a surprising selection, but he looked good this spring and figures to be a starting defensive tackle in 2024 for Michigan State football. Heck, all you have to do is look at his last two years of production to realize he’s a dude in the middle of the defensive line. He racked up 61 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles for Georgia Tech over the past two years. The experienced defensive lineman is going to wreak havoc.

Which transfers do you think could push for an All-Big Ten team in 2024?