Jonathan Smith continues to delve into the transfer portal as he overhauls the Michigan State football roster.
The Spartans signed two defensive backs on Friday, former Central Florida safety Nikai Martinez and former LSU cornerback Jeremiah Hughes. This brings MSU's total to 23 transfers since Smith took over the program in late November, and 11 portal additions since spring practice ended April 20.
Martinez arrived in East Lansing with two years of eligibility but did not redshirt at UCF. He played in all 14 games for the Knights as a true freshman in 2022, recording 21 tackles, including a sack, and two pass breakups. And last season, the 5-foot-11, 170-pound native of Apopka, Fla., started all 13 games last fall and had three interceptions, four pass breakups and 54 tackles.
Martinez was a four-star prospect coming out of high school and was rated as the No. 38 cornerback in the 2022 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He announced his transfer to MSU on Twitter.
According to multiple recruiting sites, Hughes is scheduled to join the Spartans, but has three years of eligibility remaining. The 6-foot, 193-pound product of his hometown of Las Vegas' football factory Bishop Gorman played in all 13 games for LSU as a true freshman last season, appearing in 181 games on special teams and leading the way on defense. Appeared 5 times. He finished with six tackles.
Hughes was a three-star prospect and the No. 55 cornerback in the 2023 class, according to 247 Sports' overall rating.
Martinez and Hughes become MSU's third and fourth additions to the secondary through the portal since late spring, joining Ed Woods (Arizona State) and Legendo Cavazos (North Carolina/Ohio State). The Spartans are expected to bring back multiple starting defensive backs, cornerbacks Charles Brantley and Chance Rucker. The safeties are Malik Spencer and Dillon Tatum. and nickelback Angelo Gross — unless there are further roster moves before preseason camp in August.
MSU also lost six defensive backs, four reserve cornerbacks (Sean Brown, Curry Crump, Marki Lowry, Eddie Pleasant III) and two safeties (Jaeden Mangum, Malcolm Jones) to the portal. . Pleasant committed to Buffalo on Monday.
Contact Chris Solari:csolari@freepress.com.follow him @chrysolari.
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