Key MSU RB Announces Return for 2026, Deepens Position Group
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Depth will not be a concern for Michigan State's running back room next fall.
Not only has MSU been active in adding to its offensive backfield through the transfer portal, but the Spartans are getting one of their top running backs from 2025 to stay. Brandon Tullis, who will be a junior next season, announced on social media Monday evening that he would be sticking around next fall.
2026🆙 #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/1qj8LLTnZd
— Brandon Tullis (@Brandont_28) January 12, 2026
Tullis finished up this past season as Michigan State's RB3. He was mostly utilized in short-yardage situations where it was a little more obvious MSU would be running the ball, carrying the ball 69 times for 301 yards and four touchdowns. Tullis also had 11 receptions for an additional 82 yards.
The competition for touches at MSU is bound to be fierce, especially after Tullis' announcement. Michigan State lost starting running back Makhi Frazier to the transfer portal and RB2 Elijah Tau-Tolliver from the exhaustion of his eligibility, but the Spartans have added three different running backs from the portal. There's UConn transfer Cam Edwards, Iowa transfer Jaziun Patterson, and Western Kentucky transfer Marvis Parrish.
More on Tullis, MSU's RB Room
Tullis had a real role in Michigan State's offense for the first time last season. He did appear in eight games during his true freshman year, playing 14 snaps on offense and 14 snaps on MSU's punt return team. Tullis carried the ball seven times for 20 yards in 2024.
As a recruit, Tullis had some very strong ties to the previous staff, which makes his retention a little more impressive for new head coach Pat Fitzgerald and new running back coach Devon Spalding.
He had been getting recruited to Oregon State by Keith Bhonapha, who was the RBs coach for Jonathan Smith there. Shortly after Smith took the MSU job, also bringing Bhonapha with him, Tullis flipped and signed with the Spartans. Obviously, Smith has been fired, while Bhonapha has taken a new job at Cal. Still, Tullis is sticking around in East Lansing.
Tullis, native to Frisco, Texas, was ranked 1,591st overall in the class of 2024 on the 247Sports Composite. That placed him 118th among running backs and 232nd among Texans. He was actually childhood friends with the outgoing Frazier as well.
Looking to 2026, Tullis will probably be in a backup role again. The favorite to be RB1 is Edwards, who ran for 1,240 yards and 15 touchdowns on 5.9 yards per carry at UConn this past season.
After that, it's a bit more of a competition. Tullis will be in the running alongside Patterson, who ran for 296 yards at Iowa this season, and Parrish, who had 779 scrimmage yards at WKU as a true freshman.
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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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