MSU Football Adds Another Name to Offensive Staff
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Michigan State football is still putting the final pieces of its coaching staff together.
The Spartans have added Travis Russell to the fold as MSU's new assistant running backs coach, according to a recent report by Spartans Illustrated. Russell's Twitter/X profile has the simple bio of "Football Coach," but his banner is a picture of Spartan Stadium, which certainly seems to confirm his intentions to join the staff.
Russell will actually be making a switch in the largest rivalry contained to the state of Michigan. He previously spent the 2025 season on the Michigan staff, where he worked with the Wolverines' quarterbacks.
Before that, Russell had served as a graduate assistant for three seasons at UMass, spanning from the 2022 to the 2024 seasons. He also served as the slot receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Division II Ferris State, his alma mater, for the 2021 season that resulted in the Bulldogs winning a national championship.
More on MSU's 2026 RB Room
Russell, who also used to play quarterback at Ferris State, is going to end up taking over one of the more interesting position groups on the Michigan State roster. He'll get to help out new running backs coach Devon Spalding, who came over to MSU after a couple of seasons in the same position at Wisconsin.
The RB1 for Spalding's and Russell's room is likely to be incoming UConn transfer Cam Edwards. He was one of the most productive running backs available, as he rushed for 1,240 yards with 15 touchdowns this past season for the Huskies. Even though Edwards only has one year of eligibility left, he is still undoubtedly one of the Spartans' better gets in the transfer portal this offseason.
There will be some other interesting weapons that MSU can give the ball to as well. The Spartans also added Western Kentucky transfer Marvis Parrish and Iowa transfer Jaziun Patterson during the last month, too. Parrish rushed for 576 yards and had an additional 203 yards as a receiver during his true freshman season last season. Patterson rushed for 296 yards for the Hawkeyes in 2025.
Michigan State also retained some of the other talent in its backfield. Brandon Tullis is back for 2026 after rushing for 301 yards and four touchdowns this past fall, often used as a short-yardage or goal-line type of back. MSU also held onto scholarship players Bryson Williams, Jace Clarizio, and Zion Gist, who all redshirted this past season as true freshmen.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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