What MSU Quietly Loses Without Elijah Tau-Tolliver
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The Spartans were not known for many good reasons last year, but their rushing room was usually not a part of that list in part to the greatness that Makhi Frazier played with and the energy Brandon Tullis brought to the field.
Tullis and Frazier were a one-two punch on the field, and they didn't seem to need anybody to break into their committee approach to rushing, but then head coach Jonathan Smith thought it would be better to give one more player significant touches.
That player was Elijah Tau-Tolliver, who many people would find familiar like a few others but few would actually remember from his on-field accomplishments, that is, until the end of last season, when he started to play very well.
On more than one occasion, Tau-Tolliver found himself with more yards than Frazier and Tullis. Now that he has departed for the NFL, it is becoming clear that MSU is missing a key piece, and some don't even realize that and aren't looking for the answer.
What MSU Is Now Missing
- It was already going to be a rough hit when Frazier would likely transfer out of MSU's program, and the team was not quite ready to deal with the blow, already losing much momentum for the rushing room.
- Tau-Tolliver, on the other hand, was not anticipated to be a big blow, and in the moment made it easy to feel like the rushing room was heading in the right direction for the next season.
- But in truth, Tau-Tolliver was never going to be able to stay because of his eligibility, and with it, the momentum that so quickly came with him had to leave the team just as fast.
- Now that the Spartans do not have Tau-Tolliver with them anymore, they will have to find new players to build up energy before the season begins, and while it may be hard, it is definitely doable.
The Small Win For MSU
- While it hurts for MSU to be losing such a good player in Tau-Tolliver, it's going to be a launching pad of sorts for Tullis, who was showing flashes of greatness last season but had too much around him to let anything major happen.
- Now that Tau-Tolliver has left, the momentum may be gone for the room as a whole, but it is slowly starting to build up with Tullis, and by the time the season starts, it may be able to grow into something much bigger than when Tau-Tolliver was still around.
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Nathan Berry is a senior at NCCS and was raised a Michigan State Spartan fan. With a great interest in sports and writing, journalism is a great avenue to pursue both.