Simeon Burrow is once again walking away from Michigan State football.
The fifth-year senior defensive tackle entered the NCAA transfer portal for the second time in six months, a team spokesperson confirmed Thursday. Burrow put his name forward in late October after manager Mel Tucker was fired, but quickly withdrew his request and rejoined the team two days later. He played in the Spartans' loss to Minnesota that Saturday, finishing the season 4-8.
Another MSU veteran, reserve cornerback Marquis Lowry Jr. Published via X He entered the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining. Lowry transferred to MSU from Louisville in 2021.
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The oft-injured Burrow participated in Tuesday's practice but did not put on pads, instead working with trainers away from MSU's defense. Lowry practiced with the Spartans' cornerbacks during a 15-minute practice that was open to the media.
The 6-foot-3, 296-pound native of Grovetown, Ga., earned All-Big Ten honorable mention last season, finishing with 36 tackles, including 5.5 for loss yards and 3.5 sacks. He also had seven QB rushes from the inside line spot, forced a fumble, and had two kicks blocked.
Originally a Mark Dantonio recruit, Burrow missed his original freshman year in 2020 due to the pandemic, but has started 30 of his 34 career games. If he decides to leave now, he would finish his MSU career with 110 tackles, 18 and a half of which were for loss. His 10 1/2 sacks rank 24th on MSU's all-time list, and his 92 yards for a loss due to those sacks ranks 15th.
Spring is coming:Jonathan Smith promises MSU's spring showcase will feature real football
MSU returns fellow starting defensive tackle Maverick Hansen for a sixth season, as well as redshirt junior Derrick Harmon. New coach Jonathan Smith had two sixth-year high school transfers fill the position over the winter: Quindarius Dunnigan from Middle Tennessee State University and D'Quan Does from Georgia Tech.
“I think that front seven on that side can be a strength for us when it comes to defending the line of scrimmage,” Smith said regretfully on Tuesday. “That's remarkable to me.”
Lowry played 48 defensive snaps at cornerback and 15 on special teams in MSU's first three games last season before being inactive due to injury. The 6-foot, 184-pound native of Charlotte, North Carolina, recorded 22 tackles and one pass breakup in seven games in 2021, including 223 snaps at cornerback. He recorded three of his four tackles on special teams in five games in 2022. Lowry started two of 16 games as a Spartan and did not play for Louisville as a true freshman in 2020.
Burrow and Lowery are the third and fourth Spartans from the spring roster, along with redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Braden Miller and redshirt freshman cornerback Eddie Pleasant III, and are the third and fourth Spartans from the spring roster on Tuesday. He will be the sixth player from the 2023 team to enter the portal since the opening. Two others, redshirt junior linebacker Maa Gaoteote and redshirt freshman running back Jeron Barbarin, entered the portal this week but were not on MSU's spring roster.
Recruiting:MSU is hoping to win over Ohio State again.Brian Wozniak is in charge
The Spartans practiced Thursday morning and held a public “showcase” Saturday at Spartan Stadium, completing their allotted 15 spring training sessions. Gates open at 12:30 p.m. and the two-hour match begins at 2 p.m. It will be broadcast on tape delay on Saturday at 4 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.
Contact Chris Solari:csolari@freepress.com.follow him @chrysolari.
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