All of them, though, have spent the past month monitoring and mining the transfer portal for what comes next.

Jonathan Smith and Michigan State football’s staff are among those whose efforts are focused on roster building after going 5-7 in their debut season in East Lansing. The Spartans missed a bowl berth for the fourth time in the past five seasons, with the performance on the field and lack of depth in key areas making it clear they had major needs that had to be addressed with immediate impact additions.

The biggest most visible needs were in the trenches, where the offensive line finished the season with five players available after injuries and preseason attrition and the defensive line desperately desired pass rush help. And MSU also dealt with more losses at wide receiver in the portal and in the secondary, requiring further reinforcements as Smith’s first two recruiting classes ready for their turn.

Here is a list of the Spartans’ pledges from transfer portal players who are expected to arrive in January for the winter semester (updated as they commit).