Michigan State RB Nate Carter's Skill Set on Display in Spring Game

The redshirt junior tailback can impact the Spartans' offense in multiple ways...

If there was one player Michigan State fans knew what they were going to get from this upcoming fall it was redshirt junior running back Nate Carter.

Due to subpar play-calling and shaky offensive line play, Carter's numbers didn't pop last season with the Spartans, but those who watched closely could see the physical traits and vision that make the 5-foot-10, 200-pounder perhaps one of the most underrated running backs in the country.

Carter is a great fit for what Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren want to do with their scheme in East Lansing, and we got our first glance at that during the MSU "Spring Showcase" on Saturday. On the second play of the scrimmage session, Carter took a handoff 48 yards to the house, much to the delight of the Spartan fans in attendance.

"It was good blocking that second play," Carter said humbly after Saturday's event. "It was great for the offense to get off to a hot start and continue that as it progressed in the spring game."

The redshirt junior was bottled up well on his two other carries Saturday, finishing with 50 yards on three totes of the football. However, Carter made an impact in the passing game as well, catching two passes from quarterback Aidan Chiles for 25 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown reception.

"We think Nate is explosive and fits well in the scheme," Smith said. "He's had a good camp, a lot of carries, learning the [system]. He's effective in the pass game too out of the backfield, so that was nice to see."

Chiles is appreciative of having Carter as his running mate in the Spartans' backfield, noting the value of having a threat in the run game out there with the quarterback.

"It's amazing," Chiles said. "It's easy, because you don't have to, like, not all the pressure is on you. We have the run game, we have the pass game, we can do this.

"Coach [Brian] Lindgren talks about marrying the pass with the run, and you never know where we're going to hit you. We can hit you with the run with Nate, with all the backs actually we can hurt you, and then we can hurt you in the air with all the receivers we've got, all the weapons we've have. It's amazing to have all these athletes on one field and being able to protect it and be able to score whenever we want to."

In addition to Carter, Smith was also pleased with true freshman running back Brandon Tullis, who ran for 48 yards on seven carries as part of MSU's second-team offense on Saturday.

"Brandon, similar to Nick, early on in the first few practices [he was] getting his feet wet with a lot flying at him," Smith said. "But, I think the back half of it he got more and more comfortable. He's a good back that makes it physical."

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