It's that time of week again. While Michigan State football is preparing for another matchup, head coach Jonathan Smith made the availability report public just over an hour before kickoff.
The Spartans will face Youngstown State in Week 3, and while it's not crucial to get everyone back today, it's important to have a relatively healthy squad heading into a Week 4 showdown at USC.
Michigan State's availability report did provide one positive note on Saturday: senior safety Nikai Martinez is off the injury report and will likely play against the Penguins.
Michigan State’s availability report for Youngstown State. Safety Nikai Martinez seemingly in line to make his season debut today. pic.twitter.com/VaEAmhBCiT
— Stephen Brooks (@StephenM_Brooks) September 13, 2025
Out for the Spartans on Saturday are Caleb Gash, Andrew Brinson IV, Tarik Ahmetbasic, Kaden Schickel, Ashton Lepo, and Jalen Satchell. A lot of regulars on the report so far this season, but Gash is out for a second straight week and Lepo is the newest addition to the list.
Missing, however, is Martinez who hasn't played a snap this season due to an injury. He's projected to be a starter at safety in the Spartans' defensive backfield, and it's clear that the unit misses him. In fact, the Spartans surrendered nearly 400 yards through the air a week ago to Dylan Lonergan.
Getting Martinez back for Youngstown State may not seem like a big deal, especially since it'll be important to keep him healthy for next week, but he'll be able to shake some rust off on Saturday.
Michigan State isn't quite full strength, but the injuries that the Spartans are facing on Saturday shouldn't be back-breaking, especially with a key starter on defense back.