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Michigan State edge rusher Jalen Thompson plans to enter NCAA Transfer Portal

Wg0vf-nP_400x400by: Keegan Pope12/31/25bykeeganpope

Michigan State starting EDGE Jalen Thompson plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett.

The 6-foot-3, 260-pounder is coming off a career-best season as a junior, where he totaled 30 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks for the Spartans. Over the course of his three-year career, Thompson has made 26 starts and was expected to be a key piece for MSU heading into the 2026 season.

However, after the program parted ways with head coach Jonathan Smith and his staff last month and replaced them with former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, Thompson is looking for a new home.

He signed with the Spartans as a member of the Class of 2023, and saw playing time in each of his first three seasons with the program.

Thompson had a strong true freshman campaign despite the Spartans finishing 4-8 and firing head coach Mel Tucker early in the season. Across eight games, Thompson tallied 19 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks and started the team’s final four games.

Despite the coaching change, he opted to stay with the program for both of the next two seasons and started 23 games. He had a reduced role as a sophomore with only 17 tackles, but came back in 2025 and tied for the team lead in both tackles for loss and sacks.

As a high schooler, Thompson was a four-star prospect, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services. He was tabbed as the nation’s No. 260 overall prospect, No. 34 defensive lineman and No. 3 player in the state of Michigan.

Another key piece for Spartans headed into the portal

Thompson is latest in a string of major defections from the program since Smith was fired.

The Spartans will be replacing both their leading rusher and leading receiver, as running back Makhi Frazier and wideout Nick Marsh both have announced their plans to enter the portal. Frazier, a sophomore, totaled 520 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 116 carries this season.

He is ranked as the No. 10 running back available in the portal currently.

Marsh, meanwhile, is expected to be one of the most sought-after players in free agency. Despite major struggles at quarterback during his first two seasons, the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder hauled in 100 catches for 1,311 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024 and 2025.

Quarterback Aidan Chiles, the team’s starter each of the past two years, is also on the hunt for a new home. Across 21 games in an MSU uniform, Chiles completed 61% of his passes while throwing for 3,807 yards, 23 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.