As Michigan State football closes in on game week, the Spartans continue to get closer to unveiling their starting units to college football. In just over a week, the ball will be in the air as Michigan State takes on Toledo.
The main area that Michigan State football seemed to target in the portal was the running back room. The Spartans saw starter Mekhi Frazier hit the portal, along with Elijah Tau-Tolliver graduating after a season with Michigan State football. Additionally, the Spartans did not bring in a running back in the 2026 recruiting class outside of preferred walk-on Cedric Williams Jr.
The Spartans had a clear goal in mind, however, bringing four backs in during the transfer portal cycle, along with Williams as a summer enrollee.
Who are the backs expected to shoulder the load for Michigan State football this year?
Cam Edwards
- Fifth-year player — Norwalk, Conn. (UConn)
- 2025 Stats: 210 carries for 1,240 yards, 15 TDs, 19 catches for 187 yards, 1 TD
Edwards joins the Spartans after a three-year stint with UConn, highlighted by 16 touchdowns last season. Since day one, Edwards has been firmly highlighted as the expected starter for Michigan State football, and for good reason.
Devon Spalding, Pat Fitzgerald, and Edwards himself have all set lofty goals for the back, with Edwards expecting a winning season and some of the best individual awards in the country for himself. Fitzgerald, when asked about his running back’s comments, doubled down on them, and also said that he was comfortable putting the running back in bubble wrap and shutting him down until the season opener.
Edwards is elusive, forcing 50 missed tackles last season. That number is right around the amount of missed tackles forced between Frazier, Tau-Tolliver, and Brandon Tullis last season combined. He is a playmaker with good start and stop ability, and easily could have tried his luck in the NFL Draft waters.
This year, the expectation for Edwards should be, assuming he stays healthy, to become the first 1,000 yard rusher since Kenneth Walker III’s award-winning 2021 season.
Jaziun Patterson
- Fifth-year player — Pompano Beach, Fla. (Iowa)
- 2025 Stats: 60 carries for 296 yards, 3 catches for 9 yards
Patterson has been a consistent backup for Iowa the last few years, with three straight years around the 60 carry mark. Last season, the back was held out of the endzone for the first time since he started rotating in. When he played Michigan State in 2025, the back had 6 carries for 24 yards.
He transfers to Michigan State with expectations to see a slightly increased role. Patterson likely carries the bulk of the load when Edwards is not on the field, with his proven production at Big Ten level the best among the team.
The one mark against Patterson is a lack of pass catching production, as the senior has not had a season with five or more catches during his time with the Hawkeyes.
Marvis Parrish
- Second-year player — Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Western Kentucky)
- 2025 Stats: 106 carries for 576 yards with 1 TD, 36 catches for 203 yards with 1 TD
Parrish burst onto the scene as a true freshman running back with the Hilltoppers after a 21 TD campaign as a senior in high school. The back saved some of his best for last, with his first career 100-yard game occurring against Middle Tennessee State in November.
Parrish excels in the pass game, with his 36 catches nearly equaling MSU’s entire running back room last year, which had 41. That said, he does not have the next gear for breakaway speed and burst, nor is he relied upon to punch the ball in the endzone.
However, with Michigan State, Parrish has a year to develop while still rotating in for snaps, and is in line to take a leap with Edwards and Patterson each in their final season of eligibility. On the topic of eligibility, Parrish, a true sophomore, benefits from the new ruling that players will get five seasons in college.
For now, the expectation is that he could be the primary replacement for Edwards on passing downs, along with an intriguing option in specific slot packages or two-back sets. He was highlighted for making multiple explosive plays when the Big Ten sat in on a Michigan State football practice.
Brandon Tullis
- Third-year player — Dallas, Texas (Memorial HS)
- 2025 Stats: 69 carries for 301 yards, 4 TDs, 11 catches for 82 yards
Tullis returns to the Spartan roster after being the primary backup to Frazier last season. He earned two starts after Frazier suffered injuries, but Tau-Tolliver replaced him down the stretch.
The powerful back has some of the best bulk on the roster, at 6-foot-1, 224 pounds. However, the main struggle for Tullis has been utilizing his bruiser frame, along with pass coverage. Last season, the Texas native had lost his assignment multiple times during the opening stretch of the season, which led to less reps as the season progressed.
Tullis now enters the situation with a fight up the depth chart waiting for him, as the staff made it clear that running back was a massive priority in the portal. During his freshman season in 2024, Tullis was utilized a ton on special teams, which might be his role for 2026.
Kenneth Williams
- Fourth-year player — Detroit, Mich. (Nebraska)
- 2025 Stats: 5 carries for 22 yards, 1 catch for 20 yards, 12 kick returns for 395 yards, 1 TD
Williams was a reserve back during his time with the Cornhuskers, but his shine, and scholarship, came on special teams. The Michigan native returns home with heavy expectations to spark the return game under LeVar Woods.
His main strength is his explosiveness when running the ball, where he can accelerate fast. This was on full display during the spring game, as Williams provided one of the only big plays of the game, with a 65-yard rushing touchdown on the first play of a drive. It was his only carry of the contest during the scrimmage-style portion of the practice.
Williams is likely to see limited touches during the year, with his primary impact expected to come on special teams.
Jace Clarizio
- Second-year player — East Lansing, Mich. (East Lansing HS)
- 2025 Stats: Did Not Play (Injury)
- 2024 Stats (East Lansing HS): 214 carries, 1,679 yards, 28 TDs
Clarizio is an explosive option that received considerable hype in East Lansing during his senior year. As a highly-touted player, Clarizio flipped between Michigan State and Alabama, with the hometown team ultimately securing his services at the buzzer.
He was expected to make an impact immediately, competing for a starting spot as summer training camp wrapped up. However, that was not to be, with a calf injury sidelining Clarizio for the opener, and it lingered to the point where the running back never suited up.
Entering year two, the hype has died down for the hometown hero, and he has not seen many shoutouts from the staff during the summer grind. The number of backs the staff secured entering the year is staggering, and does not speak highly to trust with Clarizio. During the spring game, Clarizio’s battle for playing time came against Kenneth Williams and walk-on Darrin Jones Jr, with the walk-on outperforming him and receiving more snaps.
In his defense, a leg injury to a running back takes time to recover and retrain the muscle. When the key to a back is speed, it is not a good sentence to face with leg issues.
At this time last year, Clarizio taking the field for offense was a near certainty when the days turned into hours before kickoff. Now, the question becomes if Clarizio is on the hypothetical depth chart.
Darrin Jones Jr.
- Second-year player — Lake Orion, Mich. (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s HS)
- 2025 Stats: 1 game played, no stats
- 2024 Stats (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s HS): 161 carries for 1,281 rushing yards, 13 TDs
Jones Jr. was the backfield mate of Spartan wide receiver Bryson Williams in high school, and the two dominated their way to a state title. In the season finale at Ford Field, Jones went and put up 181 yards and two touchdowns to hoist the trophy. Almost a year to the day later, Jones got to record his collegiate debut in the Spartans’ season finale against Maryland.
Jones comes back for another year and took advantage of a strong spring, earning touches in the spring game as the fourth running back on the depth chart after Brandon Tullis was out for the game with an undisclosed injury.
He is slotted to play special teams, but the staff has seemed high on him based on spring usage, so he could take the field late at points.
Zion Gist
- Second-year player — Frankfort, Ill. (Lincoln-Way East HS)
- 2025 Stats: Did Not Play
- 2023 Stats (Missed most of 2024 with injury) (Lincoln-Way East HS): 143 carries for 821 yards, 12 TDs
Gist was a player that was underrated during his senior year, missing time with injury. Shortly after Clarizio flipped to Alabama, the staff offered and secured Gist after scouting his return to action in Illinois High School State Playoffs.
With Clarizio flipping back, the staff remained committed to Gist as well, with both backs receiving high reviews from then-Spartan coach Keith Bhonpha.
Gist saw snaps in the spring game and has been locked in a battle with Jones Jr. for a depth chart spot since the summer of their freshman season. Both have alternated traveling for games at points, and split carries with the third and fourth teams during the spring.
His stock has gone up more than Clarizio’s during the Fitzgerald era, but the question becomes how many snaps are left for him with the amount of backs in the room. Gist is willing to work for it, as his multi-time Scout Team Player of the Week Awards from 2025 show.
Jaxon McCaig
- Third-year player — Plymouth, Mich. (Plymouth HS)
- 2024 and 2025 Stats: Did Not Play
- 2023 Stats (Plymouth HS): 1,625 rushing yards, 21 TDs
McCaig has been an interesting case, as the third-year player was lined up to be backup fullback in the Brian Lindgren scheme before the staff upheaval after last season.
The back now is fully returning to the running back room, and is expected to be a depth and special teams piece entering the season. He did suffer an injury that forced him to miss the last nine games of 2025, along with spring action this year. McCaig was back out on the practice field during the last media observational sections of practice, suggesting a full return to health.
Cedric Williams Jr.
- First-year player — Canton, Mich. (Detroit Catholic Central HS)
- 2025 Stats (Detroit Catholic Central): 190 carries for 1210 yards, 13 TDs, 5 catches for 45 yards
Williams stayed in state, choosing the Spartans over Saginaw Valley State at signing day. He walks on to the team looking to make a mark in his first camp, but there is a lot of bodies ahead of him in the room as it stands.
The defending State Champion is on the Spartans alongside Samson Gash and Luca Genrich, giving the Spartans a pipeline to one of the premier programs in the state.
Williams has a good base, but his lack of offers comes from being a late bloomer in high school production. For now, he is likely to sit out for the year and bulk up for Big Ten football. Anything besides a look at special teams would be a pleasant surprise for Williams to begin the year.
As it stands, the case for Edwards being the primary back is a given. The only question becomes how many snaps he will take. The healthy estimate is 65%, but personally, I side more towards the 80% threshold when it comes to non-blowout situations. Overall, the depth of this group is solid.
Depth Chart Prediction
- Cam Edwards
- Jaz Patterson
- Marvis Parrish (Third Down option)
- Brandon Tullis (Power Back option)
- Kenneth Williams/Jace Clarizio
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