MSU OL Jacob Isaia enters transfer portal

MSU+offensive+lineman+Jacob+Isaia+%2873%29+lines+up+at+center+in+the+Spartans+52-10+loss+to+No.+3+Ohio+State%2F+Photo+Credit%3A+MSU+Athletic+Communications+

MSU offensive lineman Jacob Isaia (73) lines up at center in the Spartans’ 52-10 loss to No. 3 Ohio State/ Photo Credit: MSU Athletic Communications

Carter Landis, General Assignment Reporter

EAST LANSING, Mich—Michigan State redshirt junior offensive lineman Jacob Isaia has entered the transfer portal, according to multiple reports. Isaia is the 18th player to announce his intentions to transfer from the Spartans in the 2021 cycle and the second offensive lineman to do so with redshirt junior James Ohonba being the other. Ohonba has since committed to Louisiana. 

Isaia, a 6-foot-3, 280-pound interior offensive lineman from Las Vegas, Nevada, committed to play for then head coach Mark Dantonio in October of 2017 as part of the 2018 recruiting class. Isaia was ranked as the No. 909 overall player in his class and the eighth-best player in the state of Nevada, according to 247Sports. He was also rated as the No. 17 overall center in the 2018 class.

He is the grandson of former Spartan fullback Bob Apisa, a two-time All-American who led MSU to national championships in 1965 and 1966 and played briefly in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers in 1968.

MSU offensive guard Jacob Isaia/ Photo Credit: MSU Athletic Communications

Isaia played his high school ball at Bishop Gorman High School where former Spartan wide receiver Jalen Nailor also attended. He received offers from schools such as Ole Miss, BYU, UCLA, Arizona, Washington State and Utah, as well as other Power Five and Big Ten schools including Indiana, Minnesota, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Iowa State, Kansas State, Virginia, Vanderbilt, Syracuse, Kansas and Oregon State.

Isaia redshirted his freshman season in 2018, and saw limited time in 2019, playing just 13 snaps on offense. However, he earned a prominent role on special teams, appearing in six games that season. 

In 2020, Isaia appeared in five games, still being featured prominently on special teams. He continued his sharp special teams play in 2021, playing in all 13 games. He earned three varsity letters in his Spartan career. 

Overall, he appeared in 24 games for the Spartans over a three-year span, including one start against Michigan as a fullback in 2019.

MSU offensive guard Jacob Isaia/ Photo Credit: MSU Athletic Communications

Isaia will have immediate eligibility wherever he decides to transfer and he will have two years of eligibility left. His departure leaves the Spartans without another experienced offensive lineman; Matt Allen, Kevin Jarvis, Blake Bueter, AJ Arcuri and Luke Campbell are all either graduating or declaring for the NFL Draft.