Michigan State Football Positional Preview: Running Backs

Running back will be one of Michigan State's biggest strengths this season.

The Spartans have at least four running backs who should play regularly, and there are still some other interesting options even further down the depth chart. Let's go over the position coach and every running back on the roster:

RBs Coach: Devon Spalding

MSU's addition of Devon Spalding to the staff as its new running backs coach felt like a solid move at the time, and Spalding's work in the portal this winter has certainly increased my confidence in the hire. Spalding was previously the running backs coach at Wisconsin from 2023-25. He was also the RBs coach at Youngstown State from 2020-22.

Spalding also played wide receiver and running back at Central Michigan.

Cam Edwards

UConn transfer Cam Edwards will be the first option in Michigan State's backfield this year. He ran for 1,240 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Huskies last year, finishing in the top 15 in the FBS in both of those categories. Edwards was my favorite transfer portal pickup for MSU this offseason. I've got him as the second-best player on the team headed into the season, only behind linebacker Jordan Hall.

Edwards will be an every-down kind of back at the Big Ten level. He doesn't have high-end speed, but his vision and explosiveness at the line of scrimmage when he's able to put his foot into the ground is elite. His modest 3.8 yards per carry against three ACC teams last year is a slight concern, but I'm bullish on what this year's offensive line can do, particularly the left side of Ben Murawski (another UConn transfer) and Conner Moore.

Marvis Parrish

Another very solid addition to the team was Marvis Parrish. He was previously the lead running back last year at Western Kentucky, rushing for 576 yards and getting an additional 203 yards as a receiver.

The big thing worth noting is that Parrish was a true freshman last year. He has four seasons of eligibility left again after the NCAA adopted its new 5-in-5 rule. Parrish is also listed as 13 pounds heavier this year (209 pounds) with Michigan State than he was at WKU.

Jaziun Patterson

The addition of Jaziun Patterson also brings a lot of experience to the Spartans' running back room. He's previously been the RB2 or RB3 at Iowa for the last couple of years, and it looks like he'll take on a similar role at Michigan State during his fifth-year senior season.

Patterson has 858 career rushing yards and four touchdowns. He's averaged a steady 4.9 yards per carry each of the last two seasons. Patterson has also delivered his best performances during some of the biggest games of his career. Four of his five career performances of 60+ yards were either against Iowa State and Minnesota (two of Iowa's rivals) or during a bowl game.

Brandon Tullis

MSU's leading returning running back is Brandon Tullis. He was the RB2 for a big chunk of Michigan State's season, but ultimately finished third on the team in rushing yards (301). Tullis will probably be the Spartans' main option in short-yardage situations; his 224-pound frame is the largest among the team's scholarship players at the position.

The Rest

Kenneth Williams

If and how MSU utilizes Kenneth Williams in the run game will be interesting. Michigan State brought Williams in from the portal to mostly be the team's kick return specialist -- Williams got Second Team All-Big Ten recognition last year for that at Nebraska. Still, Williams took his only carry of the spring game in April 65+ yards for a touchdown. We'll see if his role on this year's team really extends beyond special teams.

Jace Clarizio

This year should also give some clarity for Jace Clarizio's future with the program. He was one of MSU's most exciting prospects in its 2025 recruiting class as a high-3-star East Lansing native who flipped to Alabama and then flipped back to Michigan State in the final days of his recruitment. Clarizio never saw the field last year with a nagging calf injury, though, and he seems a bit buried on the depth chart this year.

Zion Gist

Rounding out the group of scholarship running backs is Zion Gist. He's also entering his second year with the program. Gist didn't see the field last season, but he was one of the team's offensive Scout Team Players of the Week twice. Michigan State flipped Gist away from Western Michigan late in the 2025 recruiting cycle.

Non-Scholarship Running Backs: Jaxson McCaig, Darrin Jones Jr., Cedric Williams Jr.

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