Michigan State RB coach Effrem Reed talks Spartan backs, replacing Kenneth Walker III
In the final week of spring practice, we finally got a chance to hear from Michigan State running backs coach Effrem Reed.
Serving as an offensive analyst on Mel Tucker's staff last year, Reed briefly departed the program for a position coach job at Georgia Southern, before returning to East Lansing to take over for 2021 RB coach William Peagler.
Reed talked about that decision, what each Michigan State tailback brings to the table, and the difficult task the Spartans face to replace Doak Walker Award winner Kenneth Walker III.
On accepting job at Georgia Southern, returning to MSU:
“I was extremely grateful for Coach Clay Helton for giving me the opportunity, and Coach Tuck was very supportive. Him, Coach Johnson and Coach Peagler as well, they supported the decision because they understood. But, for me, it was an opportunity to go run my own room, an opportunity to get on the road, recruit a little bit more and show what I can do in this business and what I can provide.”
“When Peagler left, I kind of knew before everyone, so I knew the opportunity might present itself. Coach Tucker, he called me and we talked about it, and I’m grateful for the opportunity that he gave me. It was a wild three weeks, for sure. You’re trying to find a house down there in Georgia, there’s nothing in south Georgia, so it’s like, ‘Man, what am I going to do?’ Ended up staying right where I was and I’m happy about it, for sure.”
“I went down there for two days to do a meet-and-greet, but I came right back. So, I really didn’t do anything. I went down there to meet everyone, I met the coaching staff. I think there was only like three coaches on staff at the time, so met those guys, talked about the spring process and when I would have to return, but after that I came right back and finished the Peach Bowl. That was the whole deal, because I wanted to finish what we started last year.”
On Davion Primm:
“The one thing that stands out the most about Davion, you know, his body’s changed a lot, so he’s able to endure a lot more. But, the mental aspect of the game, he understands it a lot more. He was able to slow it down, and he’s slowing things down out there on the field, so he’s able to process a lot more and he’s playing faster and making plays.”
“For him, as a young guy, you’re always out there trying to speed up your footwork, speed up your eyes when you don’t really have to do all of that. He understands how plays are being blocked, where he fits in the pass game, so once he gets all those things and he’s consistent with it, the sky’s the limit for the kid. He’s been doing a phenomenal job.”
On approach to replacing K9’s production:
“You can’t replace a Doak Walker Award winner, it just doesn’t happen. You know, Ken was phenomenal. I love the guy to death. He’s here now, just walking around and getting ready for the draft, trying to be a regular guy.”
“Ken had a special talent – his ability to make people miss, and he had tremendous vision. We’ve got guys and they’re a different style right now. They don’t have that ability that Ken had. It’s just a harsh reality. So, the thing that they have to do well is be consistent with footwork and eyes. If we’re running zone, I have to get my eyes correct, stay on track and trust it. Do it over and over again, and be okay with taking two yards, taking four yards, then I’m popping eight. Maybe two yards, and then I pop for a big one. It’s just a consistency factor.”
“I think that will be huge for our guys, to stay on track and trust it, and be consistent with our steps and our eyes, and we’ll be fine.”
On what MSU’s current RBs bring to the table:
“The exciting part about the room we have right now is all the guys bring something different to the table.”
“Jalen Berger – he’s a really good receiver. He catches the ball really well out of the backfield. He creates matchup issues for defenses.”
“Harold Joiner – if he masters third down, he does a really good job of putting himself in position to block people and, obviously, he understands our protections as well.”
“Jordon Simmons is a downhill runner. Him and Elijah Collins, they both get the ball downhill really well. And Davion, out in space he does a really good job of making people miss.”
“You add a guy like Jarek Broussard, who will be here in May, coming from Colorado. He’s the same kind of player as Ken, but just not as big. He makes people miss, he wins his one-on-one’s and he does a good job of understanding the game, and he’s played a lot of football as well.”
“So, that’s the most exciting part for me. You’ve got a lot of guys who do a lot of different things well, and if you get all those guys and you make their weaknesses a lot stronger, I think you’ll have a successful group.”
On being familiar with RB group as new position coach:
“I think that helped a lot, more than anything, because it wasn’t an evaluation for me. It was just about getting guys in and helping them maximizes their weaknesses this spring. Getting guys and putting them in position with things they weren’t successful with last year, and putting them in position to learn it, understand it and get better at it. So, I think that’s the best part.”
“[Jalen] Berger is new. He’s a guy who, I think, has made a lot of plays as well this spring, but it was an evaluation to see what he could do, what he could bring to the table, but for everyone else it was just plug and play at that point.”
On familiarity with OC Jay Johnson:
“It made everything so much easier. I actually played for Coach Johnson, I played in his offense, so I knew the playbook before I even got here. It was all about refreshing and plugging and playing at that point. But, I think this spring we were able to kind of slow it down and experiment a lot more where I didn’t have to learn anything. I knew what he was trying to do and what he was thinking of, so we were able to move the back around – in the backfield, out of the backfield – try experimenting with different protections and different schemes and I think that’s helped a lot, already understanding and knowing what he expects from the running backs.”
On MSU’s lack of O-line depth this spring:
“The backs knew going into the spring that our O-line was a work in progress at this point, but they understood all they have to do is get their eyes right, work on their footwork, technique and fundamentals and we’ll be fine.”
“When we watch the tape, we don’t worry about anyone else. We worry about our job. Do our job and we’re good. Is our eyes right? Is our footwork right? Are we in position to make plays in the pass game? If there’s a blitz coming, are we in position to pick up the blitz? I just want us to be as detailed as possible, this whole spring. I think we’ve done a good job with that.”
How low O-line numbers effects RB room:
“Reps, you know? We’ve had to scale back reps in the team period, so guys aren’t getting as many reps as I’d like. But, at that point, we’ve just got to maximize each rep, and each guy has done a great job of getting in there and understanding. I script every rep, every period. I think every guy gets about eight to ten reps every practice, so whatever reps you get you just have to maximize it. But that’s been the most frustrating part is we don’t get the reps that we would normally get in a spring.”
“The good news is you’re able to experiment and get a lot of younger guys reps, so that was huge for the offensive line. A lot of young guys got reps and they’ve gotten better, but I do think it plays a factor, just like a quarterback and a receiver – the timing aspect of routes and getting the ball out. For us last year with Ken, he did a good job of taking the walkthroughs a lot more serious than he did the other settings, just because he got his eyes right, he was able to get a feel of how guys are working to the double-teams, being a lot more patient.”
“So, I do think it plays a factor, but the good thing is you’ve got summer and fall camp to kind of correct those things when everyone gets back.”
On promotion from offensive analyst to position coach:
“The one thing I had to do more was – I was kind of playing Devil’s Advocate a little bit last year with Peags. He had me be the bad guy, and he’d be the good guy. That was the whole thing. But, now you’ve got to do both. You’ve got to confront, demand and expect things, and confront guys when they’re not doing stuff off the field. Getting guys to go to class, be on time.”
“I think the one thing different we did, we have a 15-second accountability rule in our room. So, each guy in the room is responsible for something. For example, Elijah Collins – he’s responsible for everyone being five minutes early to every meeting. Jalen Berger – he’s responsible for everyone being taped and braced before practice. Harold [Joiner] – he’s responsible for everyone finishing runs how we want. Davion [Primm] – he’s responsible for everyone taking notes in meetings. If I look up and I see it, I give them 15 seconds to address it. If I have to address it, then we address it after practice. So, it’s a chance for those guys to hold each other accountable, because I firmly believe that if we get each one of them holding each other accountable in the room, it makes them better on and off the field.”
More on players holding each other accountable:
“I think it means everything, because if I can trust you to be accountable off the field, I have no issue putting you out there thinking and knowing that you’re going to execute…our six-man protection. I think off the field stuff translates to on the field a lot more than people realize – being on time, being where you’re supposed to be, how you’re supposed to be there. In class, front row, paying attention, making good grades – it all correlates, because it’s a trust factor. When you’re out of this building, you’re on your own, I’m trying to trust that you’re doing the right thing. And if you’re doing the right thing out there, I understand that when you get out there [on the field] you’ll do the right thing as well, or at least make a conscious effort to do the right thing.”
On running back rotation for 2022:
“You hope you can play two to three guys per game. You know, last year, obviously – without Ken we’re a totally different team. But, my goal right now is to play two to three guys, and whoever has the hot hand.”
“I have an idea who I think will take off when we get to fall camp. I have an idea who I think – two guys – who will take off, but I want everyone to be prepared, and feel comfortable putting anyone out there.”
“I played running back, so I get it. Guys have to get in rhythm. You’ve got to slow the game down a little bit, because at the beginning of the game everything’s going fast, guys are trying to make plays, you’re trying to get some momentum going. So, I get it. A guy may need eight plays in a row to go ahead and get in a rhythm, get a feel for the game, get a feel for how the zones look, get a feel for how gap schemes and the double-teams are working. I’ll be very patient with it, because I understand what they can do already. It’s just about getting a guy in rhythm and letting the flow of the game take care of everything else.”
On when Kenneth Walker emerged last year:
“We knew in the spring. We had an idea. You saw him make a couple cuts, make a couple guys miss and you saw how physical he could be. We got to fall camp and he was consistent with it, and that’s the truest measure of success in my eyes – consistency. Guys do it one time, but can they do it over and over? I think we saw the whole season he was very consistent. And first play of the game against Northwestern, obviously, we saw what we all expected at that point.”
On separation in the backfield:
“We’ve had a little separation the past two weeks or so, where guys are starting to take off because they’re starting to slow things down and understand. I think the last scrimmage, Jalen Berger took a huge step forward, because he actually got out there, he got loose, he made plays, he made people miss, he finished on top. That’s what we talk about all the time – fall forward and finish on top – and I thought he did a good job, out of the backfield, of catching the football as well. So, he took a tremendous step forward the last scrimmage.”
On Elijah Collins:
“I have nothing bad to say about Elijah, I love that kid. He’s a phenomenal kid and a phenomenal teammate, and that’s one thing I’ll continue to push him to do is keep being a great teammate and keep being a great leader in the room. He’s great for the room.”
“On the field, Elijah knows everything. He knows the offense and I have no issue putting him out there. Extremely comfortable, because I know he’s going to go out there and execute every play. The key for him is, he tries to be too perfect sometimes, because he’s a very smart kid and he tries to overthink at times. But if he can just go out there and play, he’ll be just fine. I think you’ll see him out there a little bit more this year.”
“That’s the guy he is. As long as the team is having success, and everyone’s doing the right thing, he’s good, and that’s what I love about the kid. He’s a foxhole guy. He’s going to go in there and work every day. He’s going to play his butt off on special teams. He’s going to fight for you. He’s a phenomenal kid, and he’s going to be a great husband and father one day.”
On improving in short-yardage situations:
“For one, we’ve just got to be tough. That’s the whole mindset. When you get to third-and-short and fourth-and-short and the ball’s in our hands, I don’t care if nobody’s blocked on defense, you’ve got to go get it. The whole thing is a mindset, in my opinion, and you’ve got to get guys to understand, ‘Stop trying to be perfect, take my footwork, get my eyes right, get them on point of attack and just go.’ Go make the play. Put my head down and be physical.”
“We’ve just got to get our guys to be a little more physical, a little more understanding of situation as well. There were times last year, I don’t think we quite understood what down and distance it was, and that’s an issue. So, we have to be in tune with the game and with the sticks, because if it’s third-and-two or third-and-three, I’ve got to understand, by any means, I’ve got to get the first down.”
On Harold Joiner:
“I think Harold’s take a great step forward in a leadership role. He understands that Ken’s gone and someone had to step up and lead the room, demand more out of the guys and take heave of, when I’m not there, running drill work. And I think Harold’s done a great job with that. He’s stepped up, he became a leader, he’s doing well, he’s on our leadership crew, so I think everyone’s seen it as well. And he’s stepped up also in the weight room, but on the field, he’s doing a better job with his eyes, his feet, his hands in pass protection and he understands his role. Special teams as well, he’s done a great job there.”
On his goal as spring concludes:
“The one thing that I want to make sure we get accomplished this summer is understanding every concept in the playbook, every run scheme in the playbook. We were very minimal this spring, we experimented more than we actually would on a week to week basis when we’re game-planning. So, once we narrow everything down – because in the spring time you throw a lot of at these guys. You’re running 30 different pass concepts every practice, 20 different run concepts, stuff you’ll never go into a game with. So, as we go forward, kind of minimalizing and compartmentalizing everything for the guys. Let’s understand inside zone, then we’ll move on. Outside zone, then we’ll move on. Counter, duo, everything and so forth. So, this summer I just want to take it bit by bit, piece by piece and make sure that these guys understand how everything’s being blocked, how we fit conceptually in the pass game and if we execute that this summer we’ll be fine in the fall.”
