Charlotte DL transfer Colin Coates signs with Mississippi State, Jeff Lebby

Charlotte transfer defensive lineman Colin Coates has signed paperwork to transfer to Mississippi State, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. Coates will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Coates is the Bulldogs’ first defensive commitment during the Spring portal window, providing Mississippi State much-needed depth along its defensive front.

The 6-foot-2, 320-pound Coates has 28 career tackles and one fumble return in 17 total games over two seasons in Charlotte. Last season, Coates had 14 total tackles and half-a-tackle for loss in 12 games, mostly in a reserve role.

Coates is the seventh transfer Mississippi State has added during the Spring portal window, joining offensive linemen Jaekwon Bouldin (Purdue), Jayvin James (Maryland), Zechariah Owens (Colorado), Brennan Smith (UTEP), and Blake Steen (Virginia); and tight ends Max Reese (Eastern Michigan) and Sam West (Indiana).

Coates landed at Charlotte as a three-star recruit out of St. Francis Academy (Baltimore, MD), where he ranked as No. 42 player out of Maryland, the No. 194 defensive lineman in the 2022 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

Former Colorado OT Zechariah Owens signs with Mississippi State

Former Colorado offensive tackle Zechariah Owens signed with Mississippi State out of the NCAA transfer portal, On3 has learned. It’ll be the third stop of his career.

Owens spent one season playing under head coach Deion Sanders in Boulder. He transferred into the program from Clemson after spending one season there as well.

Owens decommitted from Clemson at one point as a recruit, before rejoining the class of 2023 for Dabo Swinney’s Tigers. The 375-pound offensive tackle appeared in two games during the 2023 season while redshirting. He played 13 offensive snaps on the year.

In Boulder, Owens appeared in 10 games for the Buffaloes, primarily serving along the line on special teams. He was a member of the field goal and PAT team, a formation in which he appeared 51 times. He went on to see the field for 11 total offensive snaps.

He was rated as a four-star recruit, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. Owens was the No. 277 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class, as well as the 20th-ranked offensive tackle in his cycle.

— On3’s Nick Kosko contributed to this report.