Dienhart: WR Arnett Cleared to Play by NCAA

Michigan State received great news today when the NCAA granted a waiver to receiver DeAnthony Arnett that will allow him to play this fall after transferring from Tennessee. A native of Saginaw, Mich., Arnett wanted to play closer to home to be near his father who has had health issues.

The 5-11, 170-pound Arnett had 24 catches for 242 yards and two touchdowns last year for Tennessee. He took part in spring drills for Michigan State. Arnett?s speed and athletic ability will bolster a Michigan State receiving corps that lost its top three wideouts: B.J. Cunningham (79 catches for 1,306 with 12 TDs); Keshawn Martin (66-777-4); Keith Nichol (26-352-3). Top tight end Brian Linthicum (31-364) also is gone.

Arnett-a four-star Scout.com recruit in 2011–will join a Spartan receiving corps that also will include Tony Lippett, Bennie Fowler, Keith Mumphery and Andre Sims, Jr., among others. Lippett, Fowler and Mumphery combined for eight catches in 2011. The team?s leading returning pass catcher is running back Le?Veon Bell with 35 receptions.

Here's Arnett's full bio page at MSUSpartans.com.

Arnett?s presence also figures to buffer the transition of new starting quarterback Andrew Maxwell, who is stepping in for Kirk Cousins for a Michigan State team that may be the favorite to repeat as Legends Division champs and perhaps play in the Rose Bowl for the first time since the 1987 season.

BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart is on Twitter and Facebook, and all of his work is at btn.com/tomdienhart. Send questions to his weekly mailbag, subscribe to his RSS feed, and check out his video Q&A.