Michigan State lands Iowa transfer cornerback Terry Roberts
Michigan State has enlisted more help in the defensive secondary via the transfer portal. The Spartans have acquired former Iowa cornerback Terry Roberts.
A Michigan State spokesperson confirmed to Spartans Illustrated on Thursday that Roberts has joined the program.
On Thursday, Roberts was featured and tagged in an Instagram Reel on Michigan State football's official account regarding "roommate red flags."
Later in the day, Roberts posted to Twitter that his recruitment is "now closed."
Last week at the National College Showcase in Detroit, Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker hinted at the Spartans adding a transfer cornerback soon.
"We're gonna be young at that (cornerback) position, but very talented," Tucker said. "We have some guys that have transferred in that will help us. There may be another guy who may pop up here (soon), we'll see."
Roberts is a graduate transfer and will have one year of eligibility remaining.
He began his college career by redshirting in 2018. He played in 12 games the following season and recorded 11 total tackles. Roberts played in eight games and totaled nine tackles in the shortened 2020 season.
Roberts was limited in 2021 due to a bone bruise that he suffered in practice while trying to block a punt. He missed the final five games of the regular season for the Hawkeyes. Roberts did manage to record 14 tackles, four passes defended and one interception in eight games played.
He was listed as a second-string cornerback to start the 2022 season. Unfortunately, an injury derailed Roberts’ season again. This time it was a lower leg injury that he suffered in Iowa’s game against Illinois on Oct. 8, 2022. He recorded 13 tackles, three passes defended and one interception in five games played before the injury.
Roberts played in 33 games in his Iowa career, and he made four starts. He entered the transfer portal for the first time in December 2022.
Roberts originally committed to Miami (FL) in late January 2023. He re-entered the portal on June 1.
With the addition of Roberts, MSU has added 18 players through the transfer portal and junior college ranks since the 2022 season concluded. Roberts is the third acquisition in the defensive backfield that the Spartans have made by way of the portal. He joins Wisconsin transfer cornerback Semar Melvin and Cincinnati transfer safety Armorion Smith.
Michigan State also originally had the commitment of TCU transfer cornerback Kee'yon Stewart, however Stewart flipped his commitment to Arkansas.
Keep up with all of MSU's transfer portal activity with the Spartans Illustrated transfer portal tracker.