Michigan State football: Simeon Barrow is a huge loss for the DL

Michigan State football lost a projected starter along the defensive line and Simeon Barrow’s departure hurts.

As the saying goes, ‘The portal giveth, the portal taketh away’. Yes, I just came up with that.

On Wednesday, I wrote about how the Michigan State football coaching staff was looking to add a wide receiver from the portal in the spring window.  And on Thursday, a key defensive piece for the Spartans is leaving the team for another opportunity.

Former captain and key defensive lineman Simeon Barrow has entered the transfer portal, per Max Olson of The Athletic.

Many of you may remember Barrow hitting the portal in the middle of last season only to return a few days later. No one could blame him given the state of the team at the time. Former head coach Mel Tucker had been fired and the future of the program held plenty of unknowns.

Tom Izzo allegedly had a conversation with Barrow while he was in the portal last fall and it is speculated that he convinced the pass rusher to return.

This is a tough loss for head coach Jonathan Smith as he completes his first spring session in East Lansing. It was expected that Barrow would play a key role on the defensive line alongside teammate Derrick Harmon who has also received high praise from the new staff.

Losing a key player to the spring transfer portal window is not new territory for Michigan State. During the final hours of the portal window last spring, Michigan State suffered losses of starting quarterback Payton Thorne and star wideout Keon Coleman. Ultimately, Thorne joined Auburn while Coleman solidified a starting spot at Florida State.

I’m happy Barrow a least gave the new coaching staff a shot and stuck it out during the spring. Ultimately, he chose that it would be best for him and his situation to find another team. Nothing but respect for Barrow during his time in East Lansing. We all know it was a rollercoaster for him. The highs of a Peach Bowl win followed by the lows of a fired coach and a program in disarray.

In the words of my fellow Spartan Shadows writer, DailyMSU, best of luck to him.