Michigan State Football: Tight end Parks Gissinger enters transfer portal

Michigan State tight end Parks Gissinger has entered the NCAA transfer portal, according to Rainer Sabin of the Detroit Free Press and others

Gissinger just finished his redshirt junior campaign at Michigan State and played in four games during the 2021 season before being sidelined due to injury. He enters the portal as a graduate transfer.

Gissinger was a three-star prospect out of high school in 2018, and was originally recruited as a defensive end for the Spartans before making the switch to tight end during preseason camp in 2019. He redshirted as a true freshman in 2018 and did not see game action in 2020. Gissinger has only played in a total of eight games for the Spartans since enrolling at the university — four in 2019 and, as mentioned, four in 2021. Gissinger is also a three-time Academic All-Big honoree.

In the eight games that Gissinger has played, he was on the field for 61 combined snaps between offense and special teams. In those snaps, he recorded one catch for five yards.

He’s now the 19th scholarship player on Michigan State’s roster to enter the transfer portal since the 2021 season began. He’s also the third tight end to enter the portal in the last three months, following Trenton Gillison and Kameron Allen. Linebacker Ma’a Gaoteote was also in the transfer portal for a brief period, but recently withdrew his name and returned to the MSU program.