A pair of Michigan State football WRs enter the transfer portal

The Michigan State football class of 2024 was ranked as the 31st-best recruiting class in the nation by 247Sports. With two four-stars, and a couple of well-known names, last year’s freshmen are expected to lead the upcoming roster as sophomores.

A couple of names stand out immediately in the class, like projected starters Nick Marsh and Rakeem Johnson. But those are not the only names etched in the class as a whole.

On Tuesday morning, two sophomore Spartans entered their names in the portal. Wide receivers Austin Clay and Jaylan Brown were the other route-runners in the 2024 class alongside Marsh. Clay, standing at 6-foot-0, 170 pounds, was ranked as the 147th-best receiver in the class, along with Brown, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound receiver from Texas, ranked as the No. 66 receiver in the class.

Both former Spartans were projected to be at the bottom of the depth chart, and with the offseason additions of Omari Kelly, Chrishon McCray, Evan Boyd, and Rodney Bullard, it was clear to both Clay and Brown that they may not see the field as much as they wanted to this season.

Before committing to Michigan State football, Clay held offers from a broad range of Midwestern schools. Navy, Ball State, and Akron were high on list, until MSU came calling late in the cycle. For Brown, the Texas product was a late riser in the class, committing only a short time after receivers coach Courtney Hawkins came calling.

Brown specifically has been mentioned as a ‘hard worker’ by the staff, winning multiple scout player of the week awards during fall season.

Both Clay and Brown redshirted last fall and saw no game action during the 2024 season. The route runners will potentially look to move closer to home, and flesh out a productive college career at a different stop.