Michigan State lands cornerback, Detroit native out of transfer portal
Michigan State has added to its secondary depth with the addition of Cincinnati transfer Armorion Smith, a native of Detroit.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder spent two seasons with the Bearcats, playing under former head coach Luke Fickell, who accepted a new job at Wisconsin this offseason. Smith entered the transfer portal on April 20, and the Spartans went to work quickly to bring the Michigander home.
Smith, a native of Ecorse, Mich., is a former three-star recruit out of River Rouge High School. He was ranked the No. 893 overall player, No. 71 safety and No. 23 player from the state of Michigan in the 2021 recruiting class. Smith held a Michigan State offer, and the Spartans made a late push to try to flip him before Signing Day, but he ultimately stuck with his commitment to Cincinnati.
Redshirting his first year with the Bearcats, Smith got a front-row view at a College Football Playoff team, as Cincinnati used a 13-0 season and American Conference championship to earn the No. 4 seed in 2021. The Bearcats were defeated by top-seeded and national runner-up Alabama that season.
As a redshirt freshman last year, Smith appeared in 12 games on defense and special teams for Cincinnati. He recorded 20 tackles, an interception and a pass breakup. Smith will have three years of eligibility remaining at Michigan State.
After struggling in the secondary for much of the last two seasons, the Spartans are looking for answers on the back end of their defense. Michigan State's projected starters at safety this fall are sophomores Jaden Mangham and Malik Spencer, but Smith can provide depth and experience at the position in 2023.
As for other safety options for MSU, sophomore Khalil Majeed and sixth-year senior Harold Joiner will compete for playing time. Nickelback Angelo Grose has also spent plenty of time at safety, and sophomore Dillon Tatum played both safety and cornerback during his true freshman season a year ago.
Michigan State has been active in the transfer portal this offseason, with 15 additions since the end of the 2022 season. Tailbacks Nathan Carter (UConn) and Jaren Mangham (USF) headline the incoming transfers, while the Spartans also added a trio of tight ends — Ademola Faleye (Norfolk State), Tyneil Hopper (Boise State) and Jaylan Franklin (Wisconsin).
On the defensive side, the Spartans brought in edge rusher Ken Talley (Penn State), defensive linemen Jarrett Jackson (Florida State), Dre Butler (Liberty) and Tunmise Adeleye, linebacker Aaron Alexander (UMass) and cornerback Semar Melvin (Wisconsin).
Michigan State also added a trio of specialists in kicker Jonathan Kim (North Carolina), punter Michael O'Shaugnessy (Ohio State) and long snapper Mason Arnold (Ohio State).
For a full list of Michigan State's incoming and outgoing transfers, click here.
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