Michigan State football: Could Cole Cabana be a transfer RB option?

Two years ago, Cole Cabana decided to commit to Michigan over Michigan State football.

It was one of those recruitments that seemed to make next to no sense, especially near the end, but the Spartan coaching staff at the time seemed to have lost their relationship with the four-star running back from Dexter, Mich.

Cabana was, at one time, right at the top of their recruiting board for backs and Kenneth Walker III had just pieced together a Doak Walker Award season and was drafted into the NFL. It felt like Mel Tucker and his staff could get whatever running back they wanted because of that. Well, when William Peagler left for Florida, that relationship that Cabana had with the staff seemingly disappeared. He didn’t quite have the same relationship with Effrem Reed and it looked like both sides moved on.

The Dexter native committed to Michigan and the recruitment was over. It was one of those head-to-head recruiting losses to Michigan that many Michigan State fans haven’t forgotten because it felt like Cabana was going green for the longest time.

Fast forward to Friday and Cabana is now back on the market.

The former four-star back from down the road decided to enter the transfer portal after two years at Michigan. He totaled just six yards on two carries in those two seasons and he never cracked the playing rotation in Ann Arbor. He has three years of eligibility left.

So with Nate Carter just declaring for the NFL draft and Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams exhausting his eligibility, the Spartans are without a clear RB1 ahead of the 2025 season. Does that mean Cabana could be back in play?

I’d honestly be shocked if the new staff reached out. While there may be some interest there from Cabana’s camp in terms of staying close to home, I think Jonathan Smith likes his running back room and if he were to add someone from the portal, it would have to be a surefire RB1. Cabana just hasn’t proven himself yet with his two carries over two years. But if Smith were to make room for two portal backs, I wouldn’t be mad at Cabana being one of them.

Smith is also not very familiar with Cabana seeing as he didn’t offer him in the 2023 class at Oregon State. So unless someone on the staff really likes Cabana’s film (there’s not much), I’d say Michigan State football should look elsewhere for a more solidified and proven RB1.