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Nikai Martinez injury update: Report reveals Michigan State safety's status for Boston College game

Danby: Daniel Hager09/05/25DanielHagerOn3
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© Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan State senior defensive back Nikai Martinez will miss Saturday’s game against Boston College, ESPN‘s Pete Thamel reported Friday morning. He still has yet to make his season debut.

Martinez recorded 51 tackles, 2.5 TFL and two interceptions last season. He missed the Spartans’ season opener against Western Michigan with an undisclosed injury.

Martinez was a three-star prospect out of Apopka High School in Florida, where he was ranked the No. 406 overall player and No. 39 cornerback in the country for the 2022 recruiting cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

He committed to UCF, where he’d play from 2022-23. In two seasons in Orlando, Martinez recorded 64 tackles, one sack and three interceptions. He has spent the past two years now in East Lansing, but will not be suiting up for the Spartans’ second game of the season against Boston College.

The 2025 season is extremely important for Michigan State, as it has suffered three consecutive losing seasons since its 11-2 campaign in 2021. The Spartans opened the season with a 23-6 win over in-state rival Western Michigan, led by quarterback Aidan Chiles and running back Makhi Frazier.

Without Martinez in the secondary, Sparty held the Broncos to just 217 total yards and 10 first downs. Head coach Jonathan Smith touched on his defense postgame.

“You guys saw the packages coming in,” Smith said. “D-linemen rotating almost every other play. Some of that’s strategic in regards (to) when they substitute, but we feel like we’ve got some depth on that side, and they play really hard together.”

Martinez could return for Michigan State‘s third game of the season at home against Youngstown State on Sept. 13. The game is slated for a 3:30 PM ET kick.