Ma’a Gaoteote pens farewell note to Michigan State following portal entry

Just one day after announcing his intentions to enter the transfer portal, Michigan State’s Ma’a Gaoteote said his goodbyes to the Spartan program in a heartfelt message on Twitter Thursday afternoon.

SD4L! JER 29:11💚 pic.twitter.com/S85KNorjor

— Maa Gaoteote (@MaaGaoteote) January 20, 2022

“It has been an honor to wear the coveted green and white, as a Michigan State Spartan,” he wrote. “This has been the toughest decision I’ve ever had to make, but I believe it is the right choice for my future.”

Gaoteote recorded seven tackles this season, making his debut against Youngstown State. The linebacker recorded a career-high of two tackles in the blowout loss to Ohio State.

Coming out of high school Gaoteote was a four-star prospect according to the On3 Consensus. He comes out of Las Vegas and St. John Bosco High School. Gaoteote ranked as the No. 22 linebacker in the 2021 recruiting class and the No. 179 overall prospect.

Gaoteote was a longtime USC commit before flipping on early signing day in Dec. 2020. Other programs such as Nebraska, Oregon, Ole Miss, and Washington were recruiting the linebacker as well.

“Thank you Coach [Mel Tucker], coach Hazelton, Coach Els and the entire staff for the opportunity to play the game that I love at MSU. I’m forever grateful,” Gaoteote said. “Thank you Spartan Nation for showing me love from day one. East Lansing is truly a special place.”

He ended his farewell with saying goodbye to all his fellow teammates, that he sees more like brothers at this point. Look for him making a move to another Power Five conference team.

The Gaoteote family already has a connection inside of the Big Ten, with Gaoteote’s brother, Palaie, currently playing for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He transferred from USC this offseason, only recording nine tackles.

Michigan State finished the season on a high note after defeating Pitt in the Chick-fil-A Peach bowl 31-21 on Dec. 30, finishing the season with an 11-2 record.

They finished the season ranked No. 9 in the nation, despite this, they ended third in the Big 10 East thanks to rivals Michigan (3) and Ohio State (6) both finishing 8-1 in the conference. The Spartans were 7-2 in conference matchups last season.

With star running back and one-time Heisman Trophy hopeful Kenneth Walker III heading to the 2022 NFL Draft, Michigan State will be looking for a new cornerstone to their program heading into the offseason.