2026 Michigan State Football Positional Preview: Defensive Backs
A secondary rebuilt almost entirely through the transfer portal will pair a handful of proven veterans with a wave of new faces at both cornerback and safety.
Michigan State's defensive backfield looks almost unrecognizable entering the 2026 season, and that is by design.
The Spartans' pass defense ranked among the Big Ten's worst last season, and the secondary finished with five interceptions, tied for the fewest in the conference. With new coach Pat Fitzgerald and returning defensive coordinator Joe Rossi searching for answers, the staff overhauled the room. MSU hired Hank Poteat to coach the cornerbacks, retained coach James Adams to mentor the safety, and restocked the roster through the transfer portal.
Each of MSU's projected top three cornerbacks played elsewhere last season, while the safety room features two transfer additions alongside a returning anchor. The names may be unfamiliar, but the staff believes the added talent and experience can produce immediate results.
Spartans Illustrated breaks down the cornerbacks and safeties who will man MSU's secondary in 2026.
Cornerbacks
Position Coach: Hank Poteat
The Spartans' new cornerbacks coach spent the previous three seasons in the same role at Iowa State, which led the nation in pass defense in 2024. Poteat also coached Wisconsin's cornerbacks in 2021 and 2022 and has built a reputation for finding overlooked talent.
Projected Starters
Michigan State defensive backs Charles Brantley, left, and Tre Bell III run a drill during football practice on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, in East Lansing (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect).
No. 4 Charles Brantley (sixth-year senior)
Brantley's return to East Lansing is one of the secondary's biggest storylines. A Spartan from 2021-24, he remains best known for his game-sealing interception against Michigan in 2021. His best season, however, came in 2024, when he intercepted three passes in nine games and did not allow a touchdown in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF.) Brantley also has the advantage of having played under Rossi that season.
Brantley transferred to Miami last offseason but appeared in only three games for the Hurricanes at least partially due to injury. The limited action helped him secure a medical waiver, preserve a season of eligibility, and return to MSU for his final season. The 6-foot, 170-pound Brantley projects as the Spartans' top cornerback entering his sixth college season.
No. 3 Tre Bell III (redshirt senior)
Bell, an Iowa State transfer who followed Poteat to East Lansing, is expected to start opposite Brantley. After injuries ahead of him on the Cyclones' depth chart pushed him into the lineup, Bell started the final eight games last season and recorded two interceptions while allowing two touchdowns.
Bell began his career at Lindenwood as the program transitioned from Division II to Division I. He split his attention between football and basketball before committing fully to football, appearing in 20 games over three seasons with five starts. His rise from a two-sport reserve to a Power Four starter is one of the more notable paths in this transfer class. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Bell brings size and experience to the position.
Projected Rotation Players
No. 22 Tyran Chappell (redshirt sophomore)
Chappell may be MSU's most overlooked portal addition. He committed the same day as offensive tackle Ben Murawski and All-Big Ten punter Rhys Dakin, which muted the attention around his arrival. He also ranked outside the top 2,000 players in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings.
The production suggests more upside. Chappell intercepted four passes last season at Houston Christian and earned first-team All-Southland Conference honors. He worked with the first-team defense during MSU's open scrimmage in April, although Brantley was unavailable. At 6-foot-3 and 189 pounds, Chappell should see meaningful snaps as the third cornerback and could challenge for a starting role.
Michigan State's NiJhay Burt, left, celebrates his interception with Nikai Martinez during the football Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect).
No. 0 NiJhay Burt (redshirt senior)
Burt adds experience to the room after transferring in from Eastern Illinois last season with one year of eligibility remaining. He appeared in just four games for MSU in 2025, which allowed him to redshirt. Before arriving in East Lansing, Burt was a productive starter at EIU, intercepting three passes and making 64 tackles during the 2024 season. At 5-foot-11, 188 pounds, he gives the Spartans a proven, if limited-snap, veteran option in the rotation.
No. 14 Andrew Brinson IV (redshirt sophomore)
Brinson is looking for a bounce-back season after missing the entirety of 2025 due to injury. The 6-foot-1, 186-pound Brinson appeared in five games as a true freshman in 2024, totaling 59 defensive snaps, and was one of several recruits Jonathan Smith's staff flipped from an Oregon State commitment in the 2024 class. Health will be the biggest question for Brinson entering the season.
Projected Developmental Players
Marvin Hall/Spartans Illustrated
No. 20 Keshawn Williams (redshirt sophomore)
Williams enters his third year in the program still looking for his first real defensive snaps. He's appeared in four games across his first two seasons, all at the end of the 2025 campaign, but all 56 of his snaps came on special teams. The 6-foot, 187-pound Williams will look to crack the defensive rotation in 2026.
No. 28 Truth Umenyiora (true freshman)
Umenyiora, listed at 6-foot-1 and 194 pounds, is the son of Osi Umenyiora, a 12-year NFL veteran, two-time Super Bowl champion, and 2005 first-team All-Pro defensive end. The younger Umenyiora ranked No. 1,213 nationally in the 2026 class, according to the 247Sports Composite, and held offers from Northwestern, Mississippi State, Auburn, Duke, Kentucky, and Georgia Tech.
No. 29 KJ Deriso (true freshman)
Deriso, a 6-foot, 160-pound early enrollee out of Atlanta, saw meaningful reps during MSU's spring game in April. He finished as the No. 1,067 overall player in his class, according to the 247Sports Composite, with an offer list that included Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, UCF, Mississippi State and Syracuse.
No. 24 Jeremiah Favorite (true freshman)
Rounding out the cornerback room is Favorite, a Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, native who finished as the No. 1,360 overall recruit in his class. The 5-foot-11, 172-pound Favorite carried a solid offer list that included Indiana, Oklahoma State, Wake Forest, North Carolina, Louisville, Vanderbilt and Virginia, among other Power Four programs.
Safeties
Nikai Martinez and other members of the Michigan State Safeties playing group prepare for a drill summer fall practice (Marvin Hall/Spartans Illustrated)
Position Coach: James Adams
Adams returns to lead the safety room after helping bring in Nikai Martinez as a transfer two offseasons ago. This year, he went back to the portal to add two more experienced pieces from the FCS and Group of Six ranks in Devin Vaught and Michael Richard.
Projected Starters
Michigan State defensive back Nikai Martinez catches a ball during football practice on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in East Lansing (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
No. 21 Nikai Martinez (fifth-year senior)
Martinez is the unquestioned centerpiece of this group and one of the very few returning starters on MSU's entire defense. A UCF transfer who arrived in East Lansing in 2024, Martinez was a four-star-caliber producer in Orlando, starting all 13 games as a sophomore in 2023 with 54 tackles and a team-high three interceptions (94 return yards, second-most in the Big 12 that season). Across two seasons at UCF, he totaled 75 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions and three pass breakups.
He started all 12 games at safety for MSU in 2024, finishing third on the team with 51 tackles (30 solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups and two interceptions. Injuries limited the 5-foot-11, 196-pound Martinez to just four games in 2025 in what was expected to be his final collegiate season, but he opted to return to East Lansing for one more year rather than enter the portal as a graduate transfer. For his career, Martinez has amassed 126 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, one sack, five pass breakups and five interceptions across 39 games between UCF and MSU. He's a near-lock to start at free safety again in 2026.
No. 2 Devin Vaught (redshirt junior)
Vaught joins the Spartans after three seasons at Maine, where he established himself as one of the better safeties in the FCS ranks. Across his career with the Black Bears, including a redshirt year with three appearances, Vaught totaled 107 tackles and 15 pass breakups.
He earned Second Team All-CAA honors in 2025 after posting 60 tackles, five pass breakups and three interceptions, including a 76-yard pick-six. As a redshirt freshman in 2024, he had 43 tackles and returned two of his three interceptions for touchdowns. For his career, Vaught has six interceptions, a blocked field goal returned for a score and a blocked PAT to his name.
The 6-foot, 212-pound Vaught ranked outside the top 2,000 players in the On3 transfer portal rankings, making him one of the class's more under-the-radar additions. His ball skills and tackling instincts make him the projected Week 1 starter at strong safety, and he can slide into the nickel role if needed.
Michigan State defensive players Jordan Hall, Caleb Wheatland, Michael Richard and Aveon Grose run a drill during spring football practice on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in East Lansing (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect).
No. 7 Michael Richard (senior)
Richard arrives from Louisiana Tech, where he spent three seasons and appeared in 34 games, recording 104 tackles and 14 pass deflections. His best individual season came in 2025, when he posted career highs across the board: 39 tackles, three pass breakups, five tackles for loss and the first three interceptions of his college career in 11 games.
The 5-foot-10, 179-pound New Orleans native has experience all over the back end, with most of his collegiate snaps coming at free safety. That versatility has him in line to become MSU's starting nickelback, working alongside the safeties under Adams' tutelage rather than in the traditional cornerback room. If Rossi leans on a 4-2-5 nickel-heavy scheme, as expected, Richard could be on the field for the majority of the defensive snaps in 2026.
Projected Rotation Players
No. 27 Aveon Grose (fifth-year senior)
Grose returns after making his first career start in MSU's 2025 finale against Maryland, when he also intercepted a pass. He has played extensively on special teams and should push Vaught at strong safety while serving as a key reserve. His older brother, Angelo, also played for the Spartans from 2020 to 2024.
No. 31 Deuce Edwards (redshirt freshman)
A 6-foot, 202-pound Virginia native, Edwards has been mentioned as something of a sleeper pick in the strong safety competition, according to spring reports, and will look to force his way into the rotation as he continues to develop.
No. 26 Evan Young (sophomore)
Young, at 6-foot and 196 pounds, enters his second season with the program and gives the Spartans a younger option at safety.
Michigan State's Khalil Majeed celebrates after a stop against Indiana on a kickoff during the second quarter on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect).
No. 23 Khalil Majeed (sixth-year senior)
Majeed, a 5-foot-11, 201-pound safety out of Moorestown, New Jersey, is another experienced reserve option in the room and projects as a key depth piece behind the starting trio.
Projected Developmental Players
No. 15 Caleb Gash (redshirt junior) The South Lyon, Michigan, native returns for his third season in the program at 6-foot, 193 pounds, giving the safety room a Michigan-bred veteran presence/
No. 33 Trevaughn Martinez (redshirt junior)
Trevaughn joins his older brother Nikai in MSU's secondary after transferring in from Western Carolina. He didn't see game action in 2025 due to injury, but the 5-foot-9, 175-pound defensive back gives the Martinez family multiple representatives on the Spartan roster, a sibling pairing reminiscent of the Grose brothers.
No. 17 Jonathan Granby (true freshman)
Granby, a 5-foot-10, 200-pound early enrollee out of Alpharetta, Georgia, is part of a three-man true freshman safety class brought in to restock the room for the future.
No. 30 Brayden Thomas (true freshman)
The 6-foot, 177-pound Thomas joins the safety room out of Cleveland, Ohio's St. Edward High School as part of that same freshman class, giving MSU size and length to develop behind the veteran group.
No. 35 Eliyjah Caldwell (true freshman)
Rounding out the safety room is Caldwell, a 6-foot, 188-pound freshman out of Jacksonville, Florida, who joins Granby and Thomas as three-star prospects brought in to build long-term depth at the position.
The Bottom Line
Michigan State's defensive backfield enters 2026 looking almost nothing like last year's group, but the overhaul could produce a genuine upgrade. Brantley and Bell form a veteran cornerback tandem, with Chappell positioned as an intriguing third option. At safety, Martinez supplies continuity, while Vaught and Richard bring six combined interceptions from last season, one more than MSU's entire secondary recorded in 2025.
Depth remains the concern. Beyond the projected starting five of Brantley, Bell, Martinez, Vaught, and Richard, the room leans on several freshmen and players returning from injury. If the starters stay healthy, this could be one of the most improved units on Fitzgerald's first Spartan team, and one capable of generating the takeaways that eluded the Spartans last season.
