Former Michigan State DB Malcolm Jones Transfers to Jacksonville State

A former Michigan State Spartan, defensive back Malcolm Jones has found a new home.

Michigan State's Aziah Johnson, left, and Charles Brantley participate in a drill during the Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA

Michigan State and Coach Jonathan Smith lost many talented players to the transfer portal earlier this offseason. The number of players leaving the Spartans program at once was arguably the most significant hurdle Coach Smith and his coaching staff faced early in their tenures in East Lansing.

The Spartans lost over 15 scholarship players to the transfer portal. The loss of many players in such a short time undoubtedly impacted Smith’s offseason plans.

The Spartans lost players with various talent levels, including defensive back Malcolm Jones. The defensive back appeared in eight games for the Spartans last season as a redshirt freshman and 11 games in his two seasons with the team. Jones mainly played on special teams, registering six tackles in 11 games. He has three years of eligibility left. 

Jones recently committed to Jacksonville State and former Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez in an announcement on X, formerly known as Twitter. He was the latest former Spartan to announce their commitment to other schools over the last few weeks.

According to 247Sports, Jones was one of the best players from Georgia in the 2022 recruiting class, as he was ranked the 57th-best player in the state. While Jones only played sparingly at Michigan State, he was a talented player the Spartans likely could have used this upcoming season in Smith’s first season as head coach.

Smith and his coaching staff have dealt relatively well with the mass exodus of players from the previous coaching staff’s roster. While Jones and many other talented players like him left voids across Michigan State’s roster with their decision to leave the program, the voids they left made room for many other talented players to join Smith and the Spartans in East Lansing.

Michigan State losing the number of players it lost this offseason would set any football program back like it did Michigan State. However, Smith and his coaching staff have done an admirable job finding replacements for the players who left. Not only were they able to find nearly equal talent to the talent they lost, but they also found players who desire to be in East Lansing and play for Smith.

Considering all the Spartans have been through lately, that's a good start.

Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.