The portal part of Michigan State football’s roster rebuilding is underway.
The Spartans landed two transfer pledges Sunday: from Middle Tennessee State, there’s wide receiver/punt returner Omari Kelly and from Oregon State, there’s offensive lineman Luka Vincic, both announced on X.
The expected additions of Kelly and Vincic come after MSU lost outbound transfers in wide receiver Jaron Glover to Mississippi State and offensive lineman Dallas Fincher to San Diego State on Friday. The Spartans also have two other redshirt freshmen receivers who entered the portal, in Aziah Johnson and Jaelen Smith, and could return to the team.
Vincic is the second offensive lineman to follow coach Jonathan Smith and position coach Jim Michalczik from Oregon State. Tanner Miller transferred to MSU last offseason and started all 12 games at center this fall, but he is out of eligibility.
The 6-foot-5, 303-pound Vincic was part of the Beavers‘ 2022 recruiting class, a three-star high school prospect from Bothell, Washington, and has two years of eligibility remaining. He played in 10 games for Smith and Michalczik in 2023, then made 10 apparences this fall and got 344 snaps between center and right guard for Oregon State. Vincic started twice at center. He did not allow a sack and was called for just one penalty and graded a 62 as a run blocker per Pro Football Focus.
Along with Miller, the Spartans also lose starting left guard Luke Newman and right guard/left tackle Brandon Baldwin to expiring eligibility. Left tackle Stanton Ramil and right tackle Ashton Lepo are the lone returning starters, though guards Kristian “Big Dooley” Phillips and Gavin Broscious, who each started early in the fall, are expected to return from season-ending injuries.
The 6-foot, 180-pound Kelly, who has one year of eligibility remaining, originally was a four-star high school signee in Auburn’s 2022 recruiting class. The prep product of Trussville, Alabama, had five catches for 101 yards in two seasons with the Tigers before transferring to Middle Tennessee State last season.
With the Blue Raiders, Kelly caught 53 passes for 869 yards with four touchdowns and returned eight punts for 83 yards with another score last season. He entered the portal Dec. 1.
MSU will return standout freshman Nick Marsh next season, who had a team-best 649 receiving yards on 41 catches, but loses both Glover and departing senior Montorie Foster Jr., who was the Spartans’ leading pass-catcher in 2024 with 46 catches for 588 yards. Foster and Marsh tied for the team lead with three TDs apiece. Glover had just 15 catches for 192 yards and two TDs while being limited to nine games.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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