Tag: Derrick Harmon

One USC competitor ducks out of portal chase for elite defensive tackle

USC now has a better chance of landing Michigan State transfer Derrick Harmon after Miami got eliminated.

The USC Trojans really need to land Michigan State defensive tackle Derrick Harmon in the transfer portal. They just received some good news in this pursuit. The Miami Hurricanes have bowed out of the competition for Harmon, per Matt Zenitz of 247Sports.

Trojans Wire staff writer Tim Prangley explained why the Harmon portal battle is so important for USC:

“6-foot-2, 305-pound redshirt freshman Deijon Laffitte had entered the transfer portal. Laffitte was considered a project and was not expected to play a significant role on the defensive line in 2024, but after Isaiah Raikes entered the transfer portal two weeks ago and recently signed with Auburn, USC needed to add — not lose — depth.

“In a move reminiscent of Bear Alexander’s brief flirtation with the transfer portal, 6-foot-4 nose tackle Christen Miller from Georgia created a stir when he toyed with the idea. However, a day later, Miller put the speculation to rest by reaffirming his commitment to the Bulldogs. The Trojans need two to three big interior linemen in the portal with the loss of Raikes and Laffitte.”

We’ll have more on this story as it develops.

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USC hosts Derrick Harmon, the top defensive tackle in the transfer portal

Can Coach Henny close the sale with Derrick Harmon?

USC came into the offseason with the goal to create a physical defense. That transformation starts up front. It was a given that new defensive line coach Eric Henderson would attract talent in the spring transfer portal that would shore up the Trojans’ defensive line. However, the Trojans have gone in the wrong direction, losing two of the four defensive line players north of 300 pounds on the roster.

On Thursday, multiple online sources announced that 6-foot-2, 305-pound redshirt freshman Deijon Laffitte had entered the transfer portal. Laffitte was considered a project and was not expected to play a significant role on the defensive line in 2024, but after Isaiah Raikes entered the transfer portal two weeks ago and recently signed with Auburn, USC needed to add — not lose — depth.

In a move reminiscent of Bear Alexander’s brief flirtation with the transfer portal, 6-foot-4 nose tackle Christen Miller from Georgia created a stir when he toyed with the idea. However, a day later, Miller put the speculation to rest by reaffirming his commitment to the Bulldogs.

Trojans need two to three big interior linemen in the portal with the loss of Raikes and Laffitte. The Trojans have pivoted to Derrick Harmon. He is a 6-foot-5, 320-pound defensive lineman from Michigan State who entered the transfer portal at the end of last season, but eventually withdrew his name and returned to the Spartans. Harmon is currently on an official visit to USC. The Trojans hope that Henderson can sell the development that has been so successful with high school defensive line recruits.

The spring portal window closes on Tuesday, April 30, so if USC wants to make a splash on defense in 2024, it needs to close the sale on at least two impactful 300-pound interior defensive linemen. If not, the Trojans run the risk of having Bear Alexander double- and triple-teamed all season and being bullied at the point of attack by huge offensive lines in the Big Ten.

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Michigan State DT Derrick Harmon enters the transfer portal and could be a target for Oregon

Potential transfer target for the Ducks, again.

Earlier this spring, Dan Lanning suggested that he and his staff would be taking a less aggressive approach to the spring transfer portal than they have in portals past, only pursuing players that will make a sizable impact for the Oregon Ducks. Derrick Harmon could be one of those players.

Harmon is a defensive lineman for the Michigan State Spartans, and on Tuesday morning, he entered the transfer portal, according to a report from Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer. Harmon entered the portal this past winter as well, but he withdrew his name to stay at Michigan State.

In two full seasons and a redshirt freshman year at Michigan State, Harmon played in 25 games as a Spartan, taking 979 defensive snaps. In his career, Harmon has tallied 71 total tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, and forced a fumble. 247Sports ranks him as a 4-star transfer and the No. 1 defensive tackle in the portal.

When Harmon entered the transfer portal in the winter, the Ducks tried hard to bring him to Eugene, hosting him for a visit in mid-December. Ultimately, Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith convinced Harmon to stick around for the offseason, but now that Harmon’s back in the portal, the Ducks have a second chance to make the addition.

What jumps out about Harmon’s game is his ability to ignore the blocks of opposing centers and guards. He consistently locates the ball carrier and stops them at the point of attack, and he’s equally productive whether the opposing offense is passing or running the ball.

Although they’ve made upgrades this offseason, the interior defensive line is one of the Ducks’ weakest position groups. The addition of Ja’Maree Caldwell, a former Houston Cougars defensive tackle, was massive, but the addition of a player like Harmon would reinforce Oregon’s D-line depth.

Michigan State football starting DT enters NCAA transfer portal

Michigan State football starting DT enters NCAA transfer portal

Well, in this era of transfer portal craziness, they all sting a little. But this one hurts a little extra, as Michigan State football starting defensive tackle Derrick Harmon entered the transfer portal on Tuesday.

Harmon follows fellow starter Simeon Barrow into the portal, where they will likely both be heavily pursued by teams in the SEC who have a lot of cash to spend.

LOOK: MSU FOOTBALL SPRING TRANSFER TRACKER

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Most intriguing transfer portal options at defensive tackle

Most intriguing transfer portal options at defensive tackle #GoBucks

We already broke down our expectations for how Ohio State could handle the quarterback position (which it has handled) and then dove into the possible running backs (which it has also handled). We also recently covered the wide receiver position (if things break a certain way), tight ends, and offensive tackle, guards, and of course, the center position that was also already addressed by the staff. But now, we have also moved onto the defensive side of the ball and hit on the defensive ends and we want to now dive into the interior at defensive tackle.

Again, as we have been saying, we are pretty late into the portal game, but I wanted to highlight some guys that would have been interesting fits for Ohio State and a few that may still be available. The big takeaway on this list is that the Michigan State Spartans are making moves to keep some of their best studs, but let’s dive into the list.

BREAKING: DL Derrick Harmon withdraws from transfer portal, will return to MSU

Michigan State football will be welcoming back a key defender that had previously entered the transfer portal

Michigan State football will be welcoming back a key defender that had previously entered the transfer portal.

Defensive lineman Derrick Harmon has officially withdrawn his name from the transfer portal and will return to Michigan State. Pete Nakos of On3 reported the massive transfer portal news on Wednesday afternoon.

Harmon has been key contributor for the Spartans defense and is expected to be a starter again next season for new head coach Jonathan Smith. He was also a player in the portal that received a ton of interest from major programs, including Auburn, Oregon and Ohio State.

Click on the tweet below to read more on Harmon and his return to Michigan State:

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Michigan State DL Derrick Harmon removes name from transfer portal

Michigan State DL Derrick Harmon, an Oregon Ducks transfer target, removed his name from the transfer portal.

The Oregon Ducks missed out on a top defensive tackle prospect this week, with former Michigan State DL Derrick Harmon announcing that he would be removing his name from the transfer portal and returning to East Lansing.

Harmon was one of the top transfer targets for the Ducks, especially after former Texas A&M DL Walter Nolen announced his transfer to Ole Miss last week.

In three years at Michigan State, Harmon played in 25 games and totaled 71 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks.

Harmon will now rejoin the Spartans under a new coaching staff, with former Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith at the helm. This is a big time win for Smith early on in his tenure.

Going forward, we can expect the Ducks to stay aggressive at the DL position in the portal, but they may decide to wait until the spring window to make further additions.

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Report: Michigan State DL Derrick Harmon to visit Oregon this weekend

The Oregon Ducks are expected to host former Michigan State DL Derrick Harmon on a visit this weekend

One of the bigger areas of need on the Oregon Ducks roster this offseason is at the interior defensive line. While there are a number of young players who look likely to be able to take on a bigger role and step into stardom, it’s clear that Dan Lanning and the Ducks are targeting some big bodies to fill holes left by the departures of Brandon Dorlus, Casey Rogers, Taki Taimani, and Popo Aumavae.

They’re working to do that this weekend, reportedly bringing former Michigan State defensive lineman Derrick Harmon to Eugene for a visit, according to On3’s Pete Nakos.

In three seasons at Michigan State, Harmon has 71 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. He stands at 6-foot-5, 330 pounds, and has two years of eligibility remaining.

The Ducks have also been recruiting former Texas A&M defensive lineman Walter Nolen, who is rated as the No. 1 player in the transfer portal. Nolen was on campus for a visit last week, and is expected to take a visit to Ole Miss this week.

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MSU transfer DL Derrick Harmon to visit Auburn, Ohio State

A former Spartan in the transfer portal is getting some interest from some big-time programs

A former Spartan in the transfer portal is getting some interest from some big-time programs.

Defensive lineman Derrick Harmon is reportedly visiting Auburn on Friday and will head to Ohio State this weekend as well. Pete Nakos of On3 is reporting the transfer portal news on Harmon.

Harmon entered the transfer portal after the season ended and was someone that Michigan State would have liked to keep. Harmon recorded 40 tackles and forced one fumble this past year.

Read more on Harmon and the latest on his transfer portal interest by clicking on the link below:

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Michigan State DL Derrick Harmon to visit Auburn this weekend

A former teammate of Payton Thorne, Harmon recorded 40 tackles for Michigan State in 2023.

The Plains will be a busy place this weekend, as several members of the transfer portal are set to take a visit.

Michigan State defensive lineman [autotag]Derrick Harmon[/autotag] is set to be one of those according to a report by Auburn Undercover. He is one of four known prospects from the transfer portal set to visit Auburn over the weekend.

A former teammate of Auburn quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] in East Lansing, Harmon was a productive member of the Spartans defensive line in 2023. He made 40 stops for Michigan State this season, which was eighth-highest on the team. Among those tackles, 3.5 were for a loss and 1.5 were registered as sacks. Harmon also broke up a pass and forced a fumble.

According to Pro Football Focus data, Harmon was the third-highest-graded defensive player for Michigan State in 2023 with a 78.0, with his strong suit being run defense with an 80.5. He forced 18 hurries and missed just five tackles in 475 snaps.

Auburn has two senior defensive linemen on its 2023 roster who are out of eligibility: [autotag]Mosiah Nasili-Kite[/autotag] and [autotag]Lawrence Johnson[/autotag]. Two linemen, [autotag]Enyce Sledge[/autotag] and [autotag]Stephen Johnson[/autotag], are currently in the transfer portal.

Harmon is a redshirt sophomore and has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

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