Michigan State football: WR transfer Tyrell Henry picks new Big Ten school

Tyrell Henry, one of the more explosive players on the Michigan State football roster last year, will be taking his talents to Wisconsin.

On Friday, Michigan State football transfer Tyrell Henry announced his transfer destination. Henry entered the portal when it opened on Dec. 4, and was touted by a variety of programs. Indiana, Pitt, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Boston College were among his announced Power Five offers.

After being projected to the Wisconsin Badgers after a visit last weekend, he made it official. 

It’s SHOWTYME in MADTOWN❤️ #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/UkFxvVuw5T

— ShowTYme Henry (@TyrellHenry12) December 15, 2023

The Badgers have a weapon in Tyrell Henry

Henry came to the Spartans out of Roseville, Mich. He was rated the No. 777 prospect in the 2022 class, along with being the 19th-ranked prospect from Michigan. As for his rankings in the transfer portal, 247Sports left him unranked. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

Despite not cracking the top-100 in high school wide receiver rankings per 247Sports, Tyrell was ready to see action on the field. He saw the field in 11 games as a true freshman, primarily as a special teams returner and gunner. The main plus on Henry for his first Spartan season was his speed, downing a punt inside the five during the home opener and leading the team in kick return yardage. 

This season, he was looking for more playing time on both offense and special teams. Primary punt returner and starting receiver Jayden Reed graduated, along with backup punt returner Cade McDonald and starting receiver Keon Coleman transferring out of the program.

Overall, Henry had memorable plays and signs of explosiveness. In a receiver room mixed with young and unproven talent and veteran receivers with knowledge of the system, playing time was at a premium this season. Mixed in with quarterback controversy, and none of the Spartan receivers stuffed the stat sheet this season. Henry showed flashes on special teams, and provided the Spartans with the best catch of the season against Central Michigan. His best game of the season in terms of yardage came against Nebraska where Henry put up 54 yards on four catches. 

Overall, Henry ended the season (and his Spartan career) with 24 catches for 195 yards and three touchdowns. On the returning front, he had 22 kick returns for 388 yards and 13 punt returns for 89 yards in his two years. 

The Spartans are unlikely to see Tyrell Henry in competition again, as they do not play the Badgers until 2026, after his eligibility would expire.

Transfer tracker

Henry is the first Spartan receiver to announce his transfer destination with Jaron Glover, Sebastian Brown, and Christian Fitzpatrick all still in the portal. As for other Spartans, Hank Pepper (USC), Keyshawn Blackstock (Arkansas), Spencer Brown (Oklahoma), Noah Kim (Coastal Carolina), and Sam Leavitt (Arizona State) have all announced their destinations. Ethan Boyd, Darius Snow, Kristian Phillips, and Brandon Baldwin have all entered and then withdrawn their name from the portal. 

As far as pickups are concerned, the Spartans have only landed Aidan Chiles. Considering he was the No. 1 transfer quarterback in the country, I think that is a good pickup.