Former MSU DL Derrick Harmon on How His New Team is ‘Different’

The transfer portal arguably impacted Michigan State’s football program more than any other team in college football.

Coach Jonathan Smith lost over 15 scholarship players to the transfer portal earlier this offseason. While Michigan State eventually secured one of the best transfer portal classes in the country, it still lost multiple starters and players expected to be significant contributors for the Spartans this upcoming season. 

One of those players was defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, who many believe will play in the National Football League after college. Last season, Harmon played in all 12 games for Michigan State, starting in ten of those games. He recorded a career-high 40 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. His 40 tackles and nearly 500 defensive snaps for Michigan State were the most among Michigan State’s defensive linemen last season. 

Although Michigan State recovered with a respectable transfer portal class, it will undoubtedly be challenging to replace a player expected to play on the professional level one day.

Harmon, who transferred to Oregon this offseason, recently explained how the Ducks’ defensive line differs from what he experienced on the defensive line while at Michigan State. 

“It’s been good,” Harmon recently told reporters. “This is my fourth fall camp, but it’s different up here. We do a lot of two-spot, not what I’m really used to at [Michigan] State, but we have more bodies here, so it makes sense. But it’s going good so far.

“I was probably taking 75, 78 [plays per game] at [Michigan] State. I was basically on the field the whole defense because we had probably three D-tackles that were rotating in the room. So that sounds good to me: 40 snaps. I’m not complaining. I don’t want to get off the field, but we got guys that can rotate. It’s no falloff once the guys come in, so that’s what I like about it.”

Michigan State is in the middle of its fall camp and still figuring out who will start on the defensive line this upcoming season. As of now, it seems both Harmon and Michigan State are in better situations after parting ways. Time will tell if Harmon’s decision to leave was the best for both sides.

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