Not too many things in the Michigan vs. Michigan State football rivalry are as nasty as what Jaden Mangham did on Friday afternoon.
The former Spartan safety and honorable mention All-Big Ten defensive back decided to commit to Michigan after entering the transfer portal a few weeks ago. He went against what every other Spartan would have done, especially one who grew up in the state of Michigan.
Mangham had committed to Michigan State in 2022 class and spent two seasons in East Lansing under Mel Tucker and interim head coach Harlon Barnett. He was expected to start at safety again next season under Jonathan Smith, but he opted to head to the transfer portal after his older brother Jaren Mangham did.
The early programs involved with Mangham were Alabama, Ohio State, and Michigan and he received some severe backlash for even scheduling a visit with the Wolverines.
Now he’s officially a Wolverine.
Former and current players like Ken Talley, Mark Dell, and Xavier Henderson have already spoken out against this move and they basically called him “soft” and said they’d never do something like this so it’s safe to say that Mangham will no longer be welcome in East Lansing. He has to return his ‘Spartan Dawg’ card and head out the door with his tail between his legs.
Not all transfers have their cards revoked. Guys like Eli Collins or Rocky Lombardi or Keon Coleman all showed loved to Michigan State throughout and kept the Spartans close to their hearts. A transfer to Michigan, however, shows that Michigan State was never really home and he didn’t feel that close to East Lansing after all. It was just a place to sleep for two years.
Next year’s rivalry game should be interesting.
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