Detroit Free Press

MSU adds Middle Tennessee State Quindarius Dunnigan from the transfer portal

- Jared Ramsey

Jonathan Smith continues to hit the recruiting trail hard in his first month as Michigan State football’s head coach.

Quindarius Dunnigan, a graduate transfer defensive end from Middle Tennessee State, announced his commitment to the Spartans online early Wednesday morning. The news came as Michigan State was announcing its 2024 recruiting class on the first day of the early signing period.

Dunnigan enrolled at MTSU in 2019 as a two-star prospect, according to 247Sports, and played in three seasons in his time there, also redshirtin­g twice. He had 68 total tackles, 51⁄2 sacks, and 17 tackles for loss in his career, including 35 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and three sacks in 2023, earning him secondteam All-Conference USA honors. He also had eight pass breakups — the most of any defensive lineman in the country.

Dunnigan redshirted as a true freshman after appearing in one game. He played as a rotational defensive lineman in eight games in the COVID-altered 2020 season, before missing all of 2021 due to injury. He did not miss a single game in 2022 or 2023, including starting 11 games in 2023. The two redshirts mean Dunnigan has two years of eligibilit­y remaining as a graduate transfer.

He will slot into an MSU defensive line that has been left barren with so many departures so far this offseason. Defensive ends Zion Young and Khris Bogle, defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, and EDGE/linebacker Jacoby Windmon have all entered the transfer portal this offseason and have yet to commit somewhere else at this point.

Dunnigan is the fifth player and the second defensive player to commit to MSU under Smith since the transfer portal opened on Dec. 4. Michigan State also picked up commitment­s from linebacker Jordan Turner (Wisconsin), wide receiver TJ Sheffield (Purdue), tight end Jack Velling (Oregon State) and quarterbac­k Aidan Chiles (Oregon State).

 ?? MT ATHLETIC COMMUNICAT­IONS ?? MTSU defensive lineman Quindarius Dunnigan (97) sacks Missouri quarterbac­k Brady Cook during the 23-19 Tiger win Sept. 9.
MT ATHLETIC COMMUNICAT­IONS MTSU defensive lineman Quindarius Dunnigan (97) sacks Missouri quarterbac­k Brady Cook during the 23-19 Tiger win Sept. 9.

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