Michigan State WR Ricky White — hero of 2020 win at Michigan — enters transfer portal

Rainer Sabin, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read

One of Michigan State football’s promising young players has begun the process of leaving the program.

Redshirt freshman wide receiver Ricky White, who did not play this season, has entered the NCAA transfer portal, the Free Press learned Monday.

White’s status with the team was never disclosed by head coach Mel Tucker, but the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Marietta, Ga., product remained on the roster. In August, Tucker said White was not participating in team activities.

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A former three-star recruit, White burst on the scene in 2020 when he helped the Spartans pull off a shocking 27-24 upset over Michigan.

During that afternoon in Ann Arbor, White made eight catches for 196 yards and scored a touchdown. Working predominantly on the outside as a deep threat, he connected with quarterback Rocky Lombardi for big plays of 50, 40, 31 and 30 yards. During his one active season with the Spartans, he played 175 snaps on offense and special teams. He had 10 receptions for 223 yards in four games, missing the final three games with an injury.

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MSU defensive back C.J. Hayes also entered the transfer portal Monday.

Hayes spent five seasons in the program and said on Twitter he plans to play in the Peach Bowl. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound safety from Bowling Green, Kentucky, is a two-year letterwinner who switched from receiver after the 2019 season and played in six games this year. In 2019, he had 13 catches for 141 yards over 11 games.

White and Hayes are the seventh and eighth scholarship players to leave Michigan State since Sept. 25.

Free Press sports writer Chris Solari contributed to this report.

Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin. Read more on the Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Big Ten newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football WR Ricky White enters transfer portal