Maliq Carr was one of Purdue’s top recruits in the 2020 class. But after just one season in West Lafayette, the former 4-star tight end decided to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal.

A few months later, Carr committed to Michigan State. He left West Lafayette for East Lansing with the opportunity to play both football and basketball. It’s something he didn’t get the opportunity to pursue while at Purdue.

That’s a big reason why Carr left the Boilermakers and joined the Spartans ahead of the 2021 season.

“The plan was always to play basketball and football in college. There was just a promise that wasn’t kept,” Carr said, per Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press. “It’s nothing personal, I still have love for the football team there at Purdue. And the switch from receiver to tight end, I was always gonna make that transition.

“I just felt like I needed some receiver coaching as I came into college, because I did not (run) a route very well. I think I’ve improved on that a lot in the last year and a half.”

Carr played in 12 games for Michigan State in his first year with the program. He closed out the 2021 season with 8 catches for 135 yards, helping the Spartans to an 11-2 record.

He was also listed on Michigan State’s basketball roster for the 2021-22 season.

While at Purdue, Carr played in 3 games as a true freshman in 2020 campaign. He caught 1 pass for 15 yards.