Nightly Recruiting Briefing: Michigan State in contact with transfer portal DE, more

In tonight’s Michigan State Nightly Recruiting Briefing we will discuss a note on the Spartans transfer portal pursuit. We will also discuss other recruiting buzz

Transfer EDGE rusher looking to visit?

Former Indiana defensive lineman Anthony Jones entered the portal after spending one season in Bloomington earlier this off-season, announcing an offer from Michigan State via social media back on March 17. Jones, originally from Las Vegas (NV), has announced other offers from California, San Diego State, and UCLA. He visited Cal on April 4 for an official visit.

Michigan State could be in line to receive a visit as well, as Jones tells SpartanMag.com he is looking to setup trips to UCLA and East Lansing soon. It is currently unclear how heavy the pursuit from Michigan State is, but the familiarity is there, as Jones played for Spartan rush ends coach Chad Wilt as a redshirt freshman in 2023.

The defensive end appeared in all twelve games, starting four games with Indiana during his RS freshman season. He logged 12 tackles on the year.

Jones also spent his true freshman season with Oregon, forming a close bond with former Oregon assistant and now current Michigan State secondary coach Demetrice Martin. The defensive end called Martin ‘like an uncle’ to him when speaking to SpartanMag.com.

“The coaches say I would come in and play a big part in the defense,” Jones told SpartanMag.com. “They said there is opportunity for tons of production within the scheme and they offer the ability to get to the league.

“I think they have a good staff and will get the culture right over there. They will definitely put the players in the right position to make plays and win games.”

Sources tell SpartanMag.com that Michigan State will be in the market for a transfer at the defensive end position if they can find the right candidate. Other positions to expect the Spartans to be active in the market for include wide receiver, cornerback, and running back.

Four-star 2025 DB added to this weekends visitor list

Michigan State will host four-star defensive back Tariq Hayer, of Upper Marlboro (MD) St. John’s school over the weekend, as he announced his visit plans via social media. Hayer has not reported an offer from the Spartans yet, but tagged cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin in his visit announcement. He holds offers from Penn State, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Auburn, and others.

Hayer (5-11, 185) is ranked a four-star, the No. 157 overall recruit in the 2025 On3 Industry Rankings. He is also ranked the No. 19 cornerback and the No. 3 recruit in Maryland. Hayer has official visits lined up with Cincinnati (May 30) and Rutgers (June 7) so far.

Michigan State will also welcome priority cornerback targets Jayden Shipps and Alijah Jones, of Baltimore (MD) Archbishop Spalding for spring practice unofficial visits this weekend (April 13). Four-star in-state offensive linemen Avery Gach and Ben Nichols will also be on campus. You can find the full spring visitor list HERE.

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