The son of an NFL Hall of Famer, Antonio Gates Jr. hopes to pave his own path, opting to transfer from his father’s first collegiate home: the Michigan State Spartans. Once again on the open market, which landing spots make the most sense?
Where Will Antonio Gates Jr. Transfer?
At 6’1″ and 200 pounds, Gates has the size and speed to thrive out wide, but he was never able to find his footing in East Lansing. He redshirted his freshman year and played primarily on special teams last season.
With a coaching staff change following the year, Gates entered the portal, but after testing the waters, he ultimately rescinded his name in April.
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Yet, Gates reportedly left the program midseason, and his roster page was pulled off Michigan State’s website. The 6’1″, 200-pound WR had been inactive since the Spartans’ Sept. 21 loss to the Boston College Eagles, finishing the year with four catches for 49 yards in two games.
Will Gates pull his name again and return to Michigan State? Unlikely. So, where will he end up in 2025 and beyond?
Illinois Fighting Illini
A chance to stay in the Big Ten?
Illinois Fighting Illini WRs coach Justin Stepp led Gates’ recurring efforts in the 2022 class, and the program could use some pass-catching reinforcements. Leading WRs Zakhari Franklin and Pat Bryant will be out of eligibility this offseason, so there will be plenty of targets to go around.
Charlotte 49ers
The Charlotte 49ers are without a full-time head coach after firing Biff Poggi midseason (3-7 start). However, interim head coach Tim Brewster went 2-0 to end the season and could get an extended look.
Nevertheless, his presence matters because Brewster targeted Gates while with the Florida Gators. Could a previous relationship and a clearer path to playing be enough to lure Gates to Charlotte?
Ole Miss Rebels
Lane Kiffin and Co. offered Gates coming out of high school — why not dip back into the well?
The connections to the program stem further, as current WRs coach George McDonald recruited him while with Illinois. Playing in the SEC and on one of the most explosive offenses in the nation is quite the recruiting pitch.
Kent State Golden Flashes
This is simply a legacy play.
Gates’ father played basketball for two seasons with the Kent State Golden Flashes and saw his No. 44 jersey retired on Feb. 27, 2010, making him just the fourth Golden Flash to receive the honor.
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Now, outside of the lineage aspect, there is little to draw Gates to Kent State. The football team hasn’t won an FBS game since 2022 and finished the 2024 season dead last in College Football Network’s Power Rankings of all 134 teams.
Wyoming Cowboys
Wyoming is a bit of a trip from Michigan, but a change of scenery could do wonders for Gates. But that doesn’t mean it needs to be a completely new situation.
After serving as Michigan State’s OC for the first two years of Gates’ career, Jay Johnson fled for the same role with the Wyoming Cowboys. Johnson was high on Gates, highlighting his upside in spring 2023:
“I’m extremely excited about those three younger guys: Antonio Gates, Tyrell Henry, and Jaron Glover. They’ve shown some great flashes. Their game is at a different level (from the fall), just because of the maturity and being around the program now as we go further along, so I’m hoping that we see continued improvements there and those guys can give us some depth and some big-play opportunity.”
Gates could hit the ground running in a scheme he is familiar with and a rising QB (freshman Kaden Anderson) under center.
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