Michigan State safety Malik Spencer embraces leadership role in senior season

In today’s college football landscape, which allows players freedom of movement every year via the transfer portal, the approach to building a program can vary widely depending on resources. Still, one of the most valuable strategies for coaches may be securing players who are committed to staying for the long term.

For Michigan State senior safety Malik Spencer, staying the course in East Lansing was always an easy choice. 

The Buford, Georgia native has been a standout in Michigan State’s secondary for multiple seasons, though victories have been scarce since his arrival in 2022. A highly-touted safety prospect out of high school, Spencer opted to leave home and head north. Despite having chances to transfer during periods of coaching uncertainty, following staff changes from Mel Tucker's firing as head coach to now having Jonathan Smith as his current head coach, Spencer chose to remain committed to the program.

“Why leave and build somewhere else?” Spencer said when asked why he chose to stick around at MSU. “I know what tomorrow looks like. Leaving is just too much. Some of our other players left, and they're rebuilding at their team. So why would I leave my team to go rebuild with another?”

He makes it sound simple, but in today’s game, players often overthink when things don’t unfold as planned. There’s real value in staying in one place and walking away knowing you gave everything you had and grew both as a player and a person — and Spencer embodies that mindset. However, that is becoming more rare across college football.

Michigan State’s bye week came at the right time, giving players a chance to reset after four games during the 2025, and following its first loss of the campaign. Sitting at 3-1 (0-1 in Big Ten play) and coming off a 45-31 loss to USC in Los Angeles, the Spartans used the extra week to regroup. Fans who stayed up past 2 a.m. Eastern Time back in Michigan saw firsthand the highs and lows that seem to define this team.

Ultimately, the Spartans’ ceiling may hinge on how far the offense can carry them and how well the defense can withstand opposing passing attacks. Spencer knows just how valuable an extra week of preparation can be.

“This whole bye week was like – self scout, look at film," Spencer explained. "What do we need to fix? How we need to fix it … Just getting people in place to do jobs better, do jobs more efficiently."