Former Middle Tennessee wide receiver Omari Kelly commits to Michigan State after transfer portal move: REPORTS
The Michigan State Spartans have landed wide receiver Omari Kelly in the transfer portal, ESPN's Pete Thamel and On3's Pete Nakos reported. The former Middle Tennessee State player has one year left of college eligibility.
Omari Kelly is a junior wide receiver from Trussville, Alabama. He finished the 2024 season with 53 receptions for 869 yards and four touchdowns. He tied for the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders team lead in receptions and was second in yards and scores. He also returned eight punts for 81 yards and a touchdown.
Kelly was named All-CUSA first team as a wide receiver and second team as a punt returner. He might also see some snaps as a punter returner in East Lansing, as Montorie Foster used to handle such duties.
While Omari Kelly has reportedly committed to Michigan State, he had scheduled meetings with Louisville, Utah, and Kansas.
The wide receiver was highly recruited while coming out of high school. He was a 4-star prospect at Hewitt-Trussville High School, per 247 sports. He was also the No. 7 athlete in the 2022 class.
Before transferring to MTSU, Omari Kelly spent two years at Auburn, where he had five catches for 101 yards in limited action.
Omari Kelly joins amid Spartans WRs entering transfer portal
Omari Kelly's arrival comes amid a spate of Spartans wide receivers seeking to enter the transfer portal. Wideouts Jaron Glover, Antonio Gates Jr., Jaelen Smith, and Aziah Johnson have announced their intentions to enter, with Glover already committed to the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Meanwhile, senior Montorie Foster Jr. is leaving after leading the team with 46 receptions and three touchdowns. He totaled 588 yards in 2024.
Kelly will try to help improve the Spartans' passing attack, which ranked 80th in the nation with 218.1 yards per game. Michigan State struggled on offense in 2024, scoring 19.3 points per game, tied for 123rd in FBS.
The Spartans had a disappointing season, finishing with a 5-7 record. They finished with seven losses in their last nine games of the season. They are also the only Big Ten team that hasn't gone to a bowl in the last three years.
Under first-year head coach Jonathan Smith the Spartans improved their record by one game in 2024. However, with a chance to make the postseason with a win on the final week of the season, they laid an egg at home and lost 41-14 to Rutgers.