STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football safety Corey Ellington has withdrawn his name from the transfer portal, he announced via social media on Tuesday. Ellington, who visited Oregon last weekend, will be returning to MSU.

He spent the previous three seasons at MSU where he appeared in 31 games and made eight starts. He started seven of 12 games this year, collecting 66 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass deflections and a forced fumble.

His return is valuable for a defense losing plenty of experience. Linebackers Jett Johnson and Nathaniel Watson have exhausted eligibility, cornerback Decamerion Richardson is transferring to Ole Miss and safety Shawn Preston Jr. is also out of eligibility.

Ellington is from Lexington, Mississippi, where he attended Holmes County Central High School. He was a three-star prospect in the 2021 class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

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MSU is entering its first season with coach Jeff Lebby at the helm. He hired Coleman Hutzler as defensive coordinator and Matt Barnes as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Corey Ellington: Mississippi State safety removes name from portal