Young Michigan State DB to Enter Transfer Portal

Michigan State football is losing another depth piece in its secondary to the transfer portal.

Sophomore defensive back Justin Denson Jr. announced via On3 on Wednesday that he will be entering the portal after two seasons with MSU.

He appeared in 11 games during his time in East Lansing, but only played in the Spartans' first three contests in 2025, which preserved his redshirt and allows him to still have three years of eligibility with his next school. Denson was credited with 15 total tackles over his Spartan career.

Denson is the eighth Michigan State player who has declared that they will be entering the transfer portal, and the sixth who was on scholarship. The other defensive players who have made portal announcements are EDGE rusher Stone Chaney, defensive back Jeremiah Hughes, and safety Tracy Revels.

More on Denson

Denson, a native of Providence, R.I., came to Michigan State as a highly regarded recruit. He finished as a three-star prospect who was ranked 776th overall in the class of 2024. He stuck with his commitment when Jonathan Smith was hired while being recruited by Mel Tucker's staff.

Denson had also taken visits to Oklahoma and Florida, but he also had powerhouse offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, Penn State, Miami (FL), Texas A&M, and several other power conference teams.

Playing time was a bit scarce for Denson during his freshman year at first, but he started to see an uptick in playing time as injuries mounted in MSU's secondary and the Spartans had to dip into their depth a bit more. Denson never started, but he became a regular part of the rotation.

The 2024 finale against Rutgers was the game where Denson played the most, seeing 50 snaps. He totaled 159 defensive snaps as a true freshman and received a grade of 64.1 from Pro Football Focus.

Transfer Portal Tracker

Michigan State Spartans head coach Pat Fitzgerald addresses fans during a men's basketball game against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, at the Breslin Center. Fitzgerald had been formally introduced earlier that day. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Links to articles on each transfer decision have been hyperlinked to each name.

Outgoing Transfers (8)-

Nov. 30 - RB Makhi Frazier (2 years remaining); Dec. 1 - WR Nick Marsh (2 years remaining); Dec. 5 - EDGE Stone Chaney (4 years remaining); Dec. 8 - DB Jeremiah Hughes (2 years remaining); Dec. 8 - S Tracy Revels (2 years remaining); Dec. 8 - OG Gavin Broscious (1 or 2 years remaining); Dec. 9 - OL Rashawn Rogers (4 years remaining); Dec. 10 - DB Justin Denson Jr. (3 years remaining)

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