Defensive back, Michigan State (from UCF), 2022–26
Nikai Martinez
Lettered 2024 (school media guide)
- Number
- No. 21
- Height
- 5′11″
- Weight
- 196 lb
- Class (2026)
- Senior
- Hometown
- Apopka, FL
Nikai Martinez plays defensive back for Michigan State, after UCF (2022–23). Last time out, against Northwestern: 5 tackles.
2026 so far
30 tackles
Last game: 5 tackles vs. Northwestern, L 21–24
Next game: at UCLA, Oct 24
Filled bars: wins; outlined: losses.
Career highs
10tackles, career highat Minnesota, 2025Defense
* The season in progress, so far.
| Season | Team | Tkl | Solo | TFL | Sacks | Int | PD | Hur |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | UCF | 17 | 14 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 | UCF | 49 | 35 | 0.5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Michigan State | 51 | 30 | 2.5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | Michigan State | 24 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026 | Michigan State | 30 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Career | 171 | 111 | 5.5 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | |
Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls. A dash: the source has no number for that season (often an FCS season), and career totals count only the numbers on file.
On the roster
| Season | Team | No. | Pos | Class | Ht | Wt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | UCF | 21 | DB | Yr 1 | ||
| 2023 | UCF | 21 | DB | Yr 2 | ||
| 2024 | Michigan State | 21 | DB | Yr 3 | ||
| 2025 | Michigan State | 21 | DB | Yr 4 | ||
| 2026 | Michigan State | 21 | DB | Sr. (Yr 5) | 5′11″ | 196 |
As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.
Game by game
2026 Michigan State 7 games, 30 tackles
| Date | Opponent | Result | Tkl | Solo | TFL | Sacks | Int | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 4 | vs. Toledo | W 30–20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 12 | vs. Eastern Michigan | W 35–7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sep 19 | at Notre Dame | L 10–27 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sep 26 | vs. Nebraska | L 13–31 | 4 | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 3 | at Wisconsin | L 3–31 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 10 | vs. Illinois | L 37–38 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 17 | vs. Northwestern | L 21–24 | 5 | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2025 Michigan State 4 games, 24 tackles
| Date | Opponent | Result | Tkl | Solo | TFL | Sacks | Int | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 13 | vs. Youngstown State | W 41–24 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 20 | at USC | L 31–45 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 25 | vs. Michigan | L 20–31 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 1 | at Minnesota | L 20–23 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2024 Michigan State 11 games, 51 tackles, 2 INT
| Date | Opponent | Result | Tkl | Solo | TFL | Sacks | Int | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30 | vs. Florida Atlantic | W 16–10 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 7 | at Maryland | W 27–24 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 21 | at Boston College | L 19–23 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 28 | vs. Ohio State | L 7–38 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 4 | at Oregon | L 10–31 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 19 | vs. Iowa | W 32–20 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 26 | atMichigan | L 17–24 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 2 | vs. Indiana | L 10–47 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 16 | atIllinois | L 16–38 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 22 | vs. Purdue | W 24–17 | 5 | 3 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Nov 30 | vs. Rutgers | L 14–41 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
2023 UCF 11 games, 49 tackles, 3 INT
| Date | Opponent | Result | Tkl | Solo | TFL | Sacks | Int | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16 | vs. Villanova | W 48–14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 23 | at Kansas State | L 31–44 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 30 | vs. Baylor | L 35–36 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 7 | at Kansas | L 22–51 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 21 | at Oklahoma | L 29–31 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 28 | vs. West Virginia | L 28–41 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 4 | at Cincinnati | W 28–26 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 11 | vs. Oklahoma State | W 45–3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 18 | at Texas Tech | L 23–24 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 25 | vs. Houston | W 27–13 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 22 ✦ | vs. Georgia Tech | L 17–30 | 4 | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2022 UCF 11 games, 17 tackles, 1 sack
| Date | Opponent | Result | Tkl | Solo | TFL | Sacks | Int | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1 | vs. South Carolina State | W 56–10 | 2 | 1 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 17 | atFlorida Atlantic | W 40–14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 24 | vs.Georgia Tech | W 27–10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 5 | vs. SMU | W 41–19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Oct 13 | vs. Temple | W 70–13 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 22 | at East Carolina | L 13–34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 29 | vs.Cincinnati | W 25–21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 5 | at Memphis | W 35–28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 12 | at Tulane | W 38–31 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 19 | vs. Navy | L 14–17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 26 | at South Florida | W 46–39 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.
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