Breaking Down MSU's New-Look RB Room After 3 Portal Adds
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It's clear running back was a position of importance for Michigan State this transfer portal cycle.
The Spartans are losing their top two running backs from this year. Makhi Frazier is in the transfer portal, and Elijah Tau-Tolliver is out of eligibility. MSU has already replaced that lost production and then some, it seems.
Michigan State added not one, not two, but three transfer portal running backs in the span of two days. The Spartans got a commitment from UConn transfer Cam Edwards on Wednesday and then commitments from Western Kentucky transfer Marvis Parrish and Iowa transfer Jaziun Patterson on Thursday.
Here's a quick breakdown of each addition and what to expect from them:
Cam Edwards
The projected lead back is Edwards. He was one of the most productive running backs in college football this past season, rushing for 1,240 yards, averaging 5.9 yards per carry, and scoring 15 times on the ground across 13 games. Edwards had the 15th-most rushing yards of anybody in the FBS this past season.
Edwards has one year of eligibility remaining, meaning MSU only gets to enjoy his talents for a short while. The Spartans haven't had anybody come close to sniffing the 1,000-yard mark since Kenneth Walker III departed campus. They'll be hoping Edwards can get there, though that's a challenge at the Big Ten level.
Marvis Parrish
The Parrish addition is one with some serious upside. He has three years of eligibility remaining and has already shown that he can produce at a high level. Parrish totaled 779 scrimmage yards --- 576 rushing, 203 receiving --- as a true freshman. He made Conference USA's All-Freshman Team and was the conference's Freshman of the Week twice this past season.
Parrish won't be the lead back as a sophomore at MSU, but he has the chance to become a true difference-maker if he's able to continue developing and outperform his recruiting ranking under new Michigan State running backs coach Devon Spalding.
Jaziun Patterson
The surprise commitment came from Patterson, whose visit didn't become public knowledge until he officially chose the Spartans and posted several pictures from it on his commitment post. It was also the third commitment of the three. Edwards was first, then Parrish. After Michigan State picked up Parrish, it seemed like that may be it for the RB position, since the Spartans were losing two backs. It was an even exchange.
Adding Patterson brings in some serious Big Ten experience from his time at Iowa. He's got 858 career rushing yards and four scores during his time with the Hawkeyes. He was Iowa's third back this past season, and that may be the role he takes on at MSU.
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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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