Michigan State Football Reportedly Interested in CB From UNLV

Michigan State football is expected to be active in the transfer portal this spring. It has expressed interest in CB Ricky Johnson from UNLV, who is in the transfer portal.

Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith talks the media on the first national signing day for college / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA

Michigan State Football and Coach Jonathan Smith are gearing up to try to add quality talent through the transfer portal.

The Spartans have lacked the talent to be competitive in the last few seasons. They have hit the recruiting trail hard for the 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes, but the transfer portal will be the quickest way for Coach Smith to improve Michigan State’s roster.

According to Chris Hummer of 247Sports, Michigan State football has reportedly expressed interest in former UNLV cornerback Ricky Johnson, who entered the transfer portal on Feb. 29.

Hummer reports that other teams have shown interest in Johnson, including Arizona, Vanderbilt and Boise State. He is set to visit Colorado State on April 20, as CSU has already offered Johnson a scholarship. Johnson’s NIL representatives, Chase Moss and Darren Wilson, have announced schools’ mounting interest in Johnson. 

The portal opened today, April 16, and closes on April 30. It marks an opportunity for many programs to add experienced talent to their rosters. Johnson falls into that category.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound cornerback recorded 36 tackles and four tackles for loss while leading UNLV’s defense with seven passes defended last season. The good news for the Spartans is that Johnson has another two years of eligibility remaining. 

Johnson could gain more playing time with Michigan State than he did at UNLV and play against stiffer competition than he had faced in the Mountain West. With Johnson's signing, Michigan State and Johnson have the chance to improve equally. 

In Coach Smith's early tenure in East Lansing, the Spartans will hinge their success on their ability to sign quality players from the transfer portal and extract the absolute most out of three-star-and-below recruits in the 2025 and the 2026 recruiting classes. 

With the portal opening soon and only staying open for a short time, the Spartans hope to secure at least a couple of the talented players that are available. Both talent and experience will boost Michigan State's chances of success in the immediate future. 

The Spartans hope Johnson and other players like him decide to join them in East Lansing. Coach Smith and Michigan State’s activity in the transfer portal will be a critical factor in the program’s direction.

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