Michigan State football adds 2 transfers in key areas: OL Matt Gulbin, CB Malcolm Bell

Posted by Admin December 22, 2024 Football

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Remaking Michigan State football’s offensive line and secondary were major offseason priorities for Jonathan Smith and his staff.

The Spartans continued their rebuilding of both Sunday, picking up a third offensive line transfer pledge in former Wake Forest starting left guard Matt Gulbin and a third defensive back in former Connecticut cornerback Malcolm Bell. They are the ninth and 10th players to announce intentions to come to East Lansing for spring semester.

Gulbin, who started 22 of 23 games the past two seasons for the Demon Deacons, has one year of eligibility remaining. He was an All-ACC honorable mention this season and ranked second among ACC guards in run blocking in 2023.

The 6-foot-4, 314-pound native of Wilton, Connecticut, joins Luka Vincic (Oregon State) and Caleb Carter (Western Carolina) in looking to bolster an offensive line that struggled after offseason attrition following Smith’s hiring last year and in-season attrition due to injuries this fall that left MSU with a static five-man front.

Three of those starters, center Tanner Miller, left guard Luke Newman and right guard/left tackle Brandon Baldwin, are departing due to expiring eligibility center. The Spartans’ 115.3 rushing yards per game this fall ranked 110th out of 133 Football Bowl Subdivision teams, and their 36 sacks allowed were tied for 16th-most in the FBS.

Bell, who entered the portal Dec. 12 and leaves the Huskies as they are preparing for next week’s Fenway Bowl game against North Carolina, also has one year of eligibility remaining.

In nine games this season for UConn, including five starts, Bell finished with 26 tackles and three pass breakups. The 6-2, 185-pound native of Montreal started 16 of 24 games for the Huskies in 2022 and 2023 and finished his career with the Huskies with 93 tackles, a forced fumble and a blocked kick.

A former UConn teammate of MSU running back Nate Carter, who recently declared for the NFL draft, Bell joins fellow cornerbacks NiJhay Burt (Eastern Illinois) and Joshua Eaton (Texas State/Oklahoma) in joining the Spartans’ secondary.

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.

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