Spartans Lose Key Defensive Back to Transfer Portal
Michigan State football took a hit on Monday when veteran defensive back Dillon Tatum announced he would be entering the transfer portal.
Tatum shared the news on social media, thanking several people and organizations along the way. His message read:
“FIRST AND FOREMOST, I’D LIKE TO THANK GOD FOR ALLOWING ME TO PLAY THE GAME I LOVE. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK COACH [MEL] TUCKER AND STAFF FOR RECRUITING ME TO THE SCHOOL I’VE ALWAYS DREAMT OF PLAYING AT.
“I’D LIKE TO THANK COACH [JONATHAN] SMITH FOR KEEPING ME HERE THROUGH THE STAFF TRANSITION. SPECIAL THANKS TO THE ATHLETIC TRAINING AND STRENGTH STAFF FOR BELIEVING IN ME THROUGH AND THROUGH.
“THANK YOU TO THE MSU COMMUNITY AND TEAMMATES FOR BEING SUCH A SPECIAL PART IN MY CAREER. WITH THAT BEING SAID, I’LL BE ENTERING THE TRANSFER PORTAL AS A GRAD TRANSFER WITH 2 YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY REMAINING.
“THANK YOU AND GO GREEN.
DILLON TATUM”
Tatum’s decision comes after he suffered a season-ending lower-body injury in Michigan State’s first game of the 2024 season. However, he had made a recovery and was participating in spring camp.
Spartans defensive coordinator Joe Rossi had previously expressed how tough it was to lose Tatum so early in the previous season, noting the defensive back’s recovery and his ability to contribute in various areas like run defense, blitzing, and speed. Rossi had been excited to have him back on the field, but now, Michigan State will be without those contributions moving forward.
Tatum’s departure could increase the Spartans’ need to target reinforcements in the secondary through the transfer portal, as Coach Jonathan Smith had already identified that as a spring priority.
A highly regarded prospect when he joined Michigan State in 2021, Tatum was a four-star recruit from West Bloomfield, ranked as the fifth-best player in Michigan for the class of 2022 by the 247Sports Composite.
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