Michigan State football: Demetrice Martin has done wonders on the DB room

Cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin has only been on campus for a few months and he’s already done wonders for Michigan State football.

I’m officially arguing that the popular talking heads in the world of college football were premature in writing Michigan State football off as a loser during the spring transfer portal window. Sure, losing three starters is tough for any team but cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin and the rest of the staff has worked vigorously the last couple weeks to ensure the program sits net-positive in the portal.

Coach Martin (Meat) has built a ton of momentum as of late by completely overhauling the defensive back room.

MSU’s biggest weakness dating back to 2020 was always the secondary. When Coach Meat was hired this offseason, he made it known that he didn’t think highly of the position group as it stood. Chance Rucker, Malik Spencer, and Dillon Tatum appeared to be the only players who met Martin’s expectations.

We saw tenured Spartans Khary Crump, Jaden Mangham, Marqui Lowery, Malcolm Jones, and others hit the portal. The new staff has brought in plenty of immediately impactful players to replace and flip the room:

• CB Ed Woods – Arizona State
• S Nikai Martinez – UCF
• CB Lejond Cavazos – North Carolina
• CB Jeremiah Hughes – LSU

Coach Meat has focused on adding experienced players to fill crucial gaps as a key part of his off-season strategy. The staff’s focus has been on ‘low-ego, high-output’ athletes who fit the culture they’re trying to establish in the program. Many fans are unaware of Michigan State’s portal targets until they’ve officially committed.

No matter how many players the team adds in the portal this offseason, year one of the Jonathan Smith era will be challenging. Bringing in an entirely new defensive back room should not change expectations.

Though I think Vegas’ win total of 4.5 for the Spartans is too low, I would be happy reaching bowl eligibility for now.