Michigan State football: Senior DB Nikai Martinez could return

On Friday, Michigan State athletics announced a ground-breaking $401 million donation courtesy of Greg and Dawn Williams. There were multiple athletes in attendance, and one of them is sure to perk up the ears for those who watch Michigan State football.

Senior defensive back Nikai Martinez was in attendance for the official announcement. The former UCF transfer missed eight games with injury in 2025, and that makes him eligible for a redshirt year and one last year of eligibility. While the senior has not announced anything, him showing up in support of the university and their athletic department has to be a good sign.

This comes on the heels of Alessio Milivojevic announcing his intention to remain with MSU football on Thursday night, along with players such as Brady Pretzlaff, Michael Masunas, and Gavin Broscious.

Martinez led the Spartans in defensive snaps in 2024, but his injury-plagued year saw him miss the opening two games of the season, before being declared out during halftime of the fourth game of the season, at Southern California. The DB returned to action a few weeks later, but only appeared in two games before missing the rest of the season with an undisclosed injury.

Martinez has appeared in 16 games with the Spartans, recording 75 tackles and two interceptions. However, it is looking likely he will be increasing those numbers in 2026 under Pat Fitzgerald and his new staff with Michigan State football.

One area that is a concern for Michigan State football next year is the safety spot. The Spartans were set to lose Martinez and Malik Spencer, along with Devynn Cromwell and Armorion Smith, all of whom played the majority of reps at the spot. The only experience set to return were Aveon Grose and Justin Denson Jr., assuming neither hit the portal.

Speaking of which…

Which other Michigan State football players attended?

Martinez was not the sole Spartan to attend, with him being joined by sophomore defensive back Justin Denson Jr., junior safety Aveon Grose, and sophomore wide receivers Evan Boyd and Jack Yanachik. Additionally, 2025 captain and graduate Sam Edwards was also in attendance, but the sixth-year senior is out of eligibility and was there to support the next milestone for Michigan State athletics.

Additionally, this is not an exclusive list, as there was also a claim that AJ Dennis was in attendance, and a few more players sitting around the defensive back.

Other Michigan State football news

Freshman linebacker DeJae White took to X to announce he was undergoing surgery on Friday. The freshman did not play a game with Michigan State football during the 2025 season, but had dressed for game action during the middle half of the season. However, he was spotted in a boot prior to the Penn State contest, and is now going into surgery to presumably correct the injury.

Overall, the future is bright for Michigan State football.