Michigan State's Nikai Martinez celebrates a defensive stop against Iowa in the first quarter on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan State Week 2 Injury Updates

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 11:19 AM ET

Michigan State has not had any season-ending injuries yet this season, but there have been some minor setbacks during this early going of the season.

The Spartans did not have senior safety Nikai Martinez in their Week 1 matchup with Western Michigan, and that will reportedly be the case again on Saturday when they host Boston College.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on Friday that Martinez will miss the Week 2 contest.

Sources: Michigan State will be without starting safety Nikai Martinez against Boston College on Saturday, the second game he's missed this year with an undisclosed injury. He started all 12 games for MSU last year and led the team in defensive snaps. pic.twitter.com/EFjGNiQbsi
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 5, 2025

It had seemed Martinez was trending toward a return, given the optimism Spartans secondary coach Blue Adams had shown on Wednesday while speaking on the veteran's progress.

"He's (Martinez) working now," Adams had said. "He's working.

Martinez started every game for the Spartans last season, his first with the program after transferring over from UCF. His absence on Saturday will be a considerable blow for this Michigan State secondary, as Boston College is anticipated to present a challenge in the passing game.

Martin Connington update

In more encouraging news, Thamel also reported that redshirt freshman kicker Martin Connington "is expected to return" for Saturday's matchup. Michigan State had to lean on its third option at kicker, redshirt senior Blake Sislo, last week, as both redshirt sophomore Tarik Ahmetbasic and Connington were out for Week 1.

MSU will likely get one of its injured kickers back, as redshirt freshman Martin Connington is expected to return after missing the opener. He may be limited. MSU used kicker Blake Sislo in the opener, a Division II transfer who didn't play football at all in 2024.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 5, 2025

Sislo made all three of his extra points in the opener but not did not kick the Spartans' lone field-goal attempt. Michigan State instead went with redshirt junior punter Ryan Eckley, who missed.

Thamel did report that Connington "may be limited" in Saturday's contest, so there's a possibility that the Spartans will still look to Sislo this week.

Saturday's game will kick off at 7:36 p.m. Michigan State lost to Boston College on the road last season and will be looking to get the victory this time around and start 2-0 before its final game of this early three-game homestand. After their Week 3 matchup against Youngstown State, the Spartans will head West to take on USC in what will be their first Big Ten matchup of the season.

They will then return for their first bye week before heading back out on the road to face Nebraska in Lincoln.