Michigan State Football: Transfer cornerback no longer with program
EAST LANSING — On the day Michigan State is set to open its 2023 season, the Spartans' secondary has one fewer player.
Cornerback Terry Roberts, a transfer from Iowa who joined the team this summer, is no longer a member of the program, a team spokesperson confirmed on Friday ahead of MSU's season-opener against Central Michigan (7 p.m., FS1) in East Lansing. No reason for Roberts' departure from the program has been provided.
Roberts spent five seasons as a Hawkeye before transferring to Miami this past winter, with one season of college eligibility remaining. He spent a semester in South Florida before entering the transfer portal again and enrolling at Michigan State. At Iowa, Roberts recorded 47 tackles, seven pass breakups and two interceptions.
Michigan State returns one starter at cornerback in junior Charles Brantley, but the Spartans are expected to be young at the position in 2023. Roberts is now MSU's second failed attempt to add a veteran presence to the room. TCU transfer Ke'yon Stewart briefly committed to the Spartans this offseason, before ultimately flipping and signing with Arkansas.
“He’s got a lot of playing time in the Big Ten, he’s got a lot of experience,” coach Mel Tucker said of Roberts when he transferred to MSU in June. “He’s had some success and he knows what it’s like to play at a super high level in this conference.”
Brantley is expected to start again for Michigan State this season, but that second corner spot is still up for grabs. Sophomore Dillon Tatum, who started at cornerback in MSU's season-finale against Penn State, is the perceived favorite for the spot. Semar Melvin, a cornerback transfer from Wisconsin, was listed as 'Out' for Friday’s game against Central Michigan on the team's availability report.
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