Ma’a Gaoteote’s stay in East Lansing didn’t last very long. The freshman linebacker has decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal after spending one year at Michigan State.

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg was one of multiple to report the news on Wednesday morning. Gaoteote is the younger brother of Ohio State linebacker Palaie Gaoteote IV, who transferred to the Buckeyes from USC.

Ma’a is a former 4-star prospect and was the No. 161 overall talent in the 2021 class, per 247Sports. He appeared in 8 games during his freshman year with the Spartans.

During Michigan State’s 11-2 run in 2021, Ma’a was responsible for 7 tackles, a pass break-up and a forced fumble. His departure is a big blow to the Spartans’ linebacker room heading into the 2022 campaign.

Ma’a posted a season-high for tackles in Michigan State’s loss to Purdue and in the Peach Bowl victory over Pitt, tallying a pair of stops in both. He was responsible for a pass break-up against Western Kentucky and forced a fumble in the season-finale win over Penn State.

The 6-foot-1, 245-pound linebacker will have three years of eligibility to use at his next destination. As a recruit, Ma’a held offers from nearly a dozen programs, selecting Michigan State over USC, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Oregon, San Diego State, Utah and Washington.