Julian Barnett arrived at Michigan State in 2019 as the team's highest-ranked defensive recruit since Malik McDowell in 2014.
Now he's likely leaving.
The sophomore cornerback entered his name in the transfer portal on Thursday. It stands to be a big loss for Mel Tucker and the Spartans, even if Barnett hasn't met expectations.
A four-star recruit who starred on both sides of the ball at Belleville, Barnett spent last season at wide receiver. He caught 13 passes for 182 yards over 10 games.
The Spartans moved him back to defense under Tucker, but Barnett hasn't seen much of the field as a sophomore. Most of his action has come on special teams.
He's not the first Michigan State player to enter the transfer portal this season, and he likely won't be the last. Tucker predicted this kind of attrition in his first year at the helm.
"Everything’s an evaluation," he said last month. "And halfway through the season, at this point, we have a pretty good idea of who can do what. You can anticipate seeing some movement on our roster, whether it’s portal-related or otherwise.”