Sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh is no stranger to coaching changes — it's how he was welcomed to Michigan State two years ago. After committing to the Spartans on July 7, 2023, the coach who recruited him — former MSU head coach Mel Tucker — was fired two months later following sexual harassment allegations. When the high school All-American wideout from River Rouge could have decommitted from a program suddenly without direction, he instead buckled down, stayed loyal, and stayed home.
Fast-forward two years: After completing his sophomore season in East Lansing — and weathering another coaching change — the hometown hero is ready to move on. Marsh’s agent, Allante Gardner, said Monday that Marsh plans to leave MSU and enter the transfer portal, a decision the wide receiver later confirmed on his Instagram story.
"Appreciate everything, Spartan Nation. It’s been a hell of a fight," Marsh posted. "Loved and cherished every moment here and wouldn’t take it back for anything, the good and the bad. SD4L [Spartan Dawg for Life]. Go Green!"
The decision is not a total surprise, as multiple aspects of MSU’s current situation are not ideal for Marsh’s likely NFL aspirations. He arrived from high school as the No. 22 wide receiver in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports, and played in 23 of his 24 games as a Spartan. His experience mixed with his impressive speed at 6-foot-3, 203 pounds, makes it reasonable to imagine the next level is on his mind.
Complicating that future is the state of the program itself. With the firing of head coach Jonathan Smith on Sunday, year one of another new regime — involving restarting and rebranding — is not ideal for a player trying to climb onto the NFL radar.
On top of that, Marsh’s stats only slightly improved from last season. While he doubled his touchdowns and added 18 more receptions, he finished with just 13 additional yards receiving compared to his freshman year — a reflection of a struggling 4-8 Spartan offense that cycled through two starting quarterbacks.
It’s a situation similar to that of former MSU wide receiver Keon Coleman, who transferred to Florida State after the 2023 MSU spring game. Like Marsh, Coleman was a promising sophomore coming off a breakout 2022 season — 798 receiving yards on 58 catches with seven touchdowns — despite the Spartans finishing 5-7. He also faced instability, as two-year starting quarterback Payton Thorne transferred the same day.
The move paid off for Coleman: after one year at FSU, he declared for the NFL Draft and was selected 33rd overall by the Buffalo Bills.
Only Marsh truly knows the motive behind his decision, but his loyalty to the program and production on the field will not be forgotten in East Lansing. The sophomore finishes his MSU career with 100 receptions, 1,311 yards receiving and nine touchdowns through two seasons.
Marsh becomes the second Spartan to enter the portal as sophomore running back Makhi Frazier made his announcement Sunday, a few hours after Smith was fired.
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