Michigan State Football Positional Preview: Cornerbacks
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Michigan State dipped into the transfer portal quite a bit this offseason, largely out of necessity.
The Spartans' group of cornerbacks transformed this offseason. Each of MSU's top three corners listed below was playing elsewhere last offseason. We'll take a look at them, the position coach, and all the scholarship players in the room:
Position Coach: Hank Poteat
Michigan State's new cornerbacks coach is Hank Poteat. He previously held the same position at Iowa State from 2023-25, and Poteat was also the cornerbacks coach at Wisconsin in 2021 and 2022. Poteat seems to have a good penchant for finding talent in places others wouldn't look. The best bullet point on Poteat's resume is that he coached the No. 1 pass defense in the country at Iowa State in 2024.
CB1: Charles Brantley
One of the big gets this offseason was Charles Brantley. He had spent four seasons with the program from 2021-24. Brantley is best known for his game-sealing pick against Michigan in 2021, but his best year with the team was the '24 campaign. He intercepted three passes that year across nine games without allowing a single touchdown, according to PFF. This was also notably with Joe Rossi as the defensive coordinator.
Brantley spent last season at Miami (FL). Whether he got hurt or was just surpassed on the depth chart, Brantley only appeared in three games for the Hurricanes. That allowed him to receive a medical waiver and redshirt that season and return to East Lansing.
CB2: Tre Bell III
Opposite of Brantley will be Tre Bell III. He transferred from Iowa State to MSU this offseason, following Poteat. Bell was a solid starter for the Cyclones last season. He originally was a rotational piece in ISU's defense, but a few injuries ahead of him thrust Bell into a starting role for the final eight games of the year. Bell had two picks last year compared to two touchdowns allowed, per PFF.
What makes Bell interesting is his career trajectory. He started at Lindenwood, which was just transitioning from Division II to Division I. Bell was going to play both football and basketball there, but he wasn't on campus long before he decided to focus on football. He only started five games across 20 appearances in three years there. The jump he's made in his play in the last couple of seasons is pretty impressive.
CB3: Tyran Chappell
Tyran Chappell seems to have been perhaps the Spartans' most underrated transfer portal addition this offseason. His commitment came the same day as highly touted left tackle Ben Murawski and All-Big Ten-level punter Rhys Dakin, so it may have been buried in the headlines a bit. Chappell was ranked outside the top 2,000 on 247Sports' portal rankings, putting him toward the bottom of the rankings in MSU's portal class.
Chappell is going to get serious snaps this year, though. He was starting during Michigan State's open scrimmage in April, though Brantley was unavailable at the time. Chappell had four interceptions last season at Houston Christian (FCS level), earning First Team All-Southland Conference honors.
Depth Pieces
NiJhay Burt
Adding some experience to the secondary is NiJhay Burt. He transferred from Eastern Illinois to Michigan State last season with one year of eligibility left, but Burt only appeared in four games and redshirted last season. Burt was a starter at EIU back in 2024, intercepting three passes that fall and making 64 tackles.
Andrew Brinson IV
One player looking for a bounce-back season is Andrew Brinson IV. He missed the entirety of the 2025 season due to injury. Brinson appeared in five games during his true freshman year with the Spartans in 2024, totaling 59 defensive snaps. He was one of the several recruits Jonathan Smith's staff flipped from Oregon State in the team's 2024 recruiting class.
Keshawn Williams
Keshawn Williams is entering his third year with the program. He's appeared in four games across his first two seasons with Michigan State, all at the end of the 2025 season. All 56 snaps that Williams got came on special teams, though. We'll see if Williams is able to crack the rotation and get some snaps on defense this year.
KJ Deriso
The group of true freshmen starts with KJ Deriso. He was an early enrollee who was out there a decent bit during the spring game in April. Deriso finished ranked 1,067th overall in his class, according to the 247Sports Composite. Some of his other notable offers came from Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, UCF, Mississippi State, and Syracuse.
TJ Umenyiora
Another newcomer is TJ Umenyiora. He's the son of Osi Umenyiora, a 12-year NFL vet who won two Super Bowls and was a First Team All-Pro in 2005 as a defensive end for the New York Giants. TJ finished ranked 1,213th overall in his class, with other offers from Northwestern, Mississippi State, Auburn, Duke, Kentucky, and Georgia Tech.
Jeremiah Favorite
Rounding out the group of corners is Jeremiah Favorite. The Myrtle Beach, SC native finished ranked 1,360th overall in his class, sporting a decent offer list that includes Indiana, Oklahoma State, Wake Forest, North Carolina, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Virginia, and a few other Power Four schools.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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