The Michigan State running game has certainly had its ups and downs in the past few seasons. In the shortened 2020 season, the Spartans averaged a mere 91.4 yards per game. The leading rusher that season was Jordon Simmons with 219 rushing yards and a running back did not have a single rushing touchdown.
In 2021, MSU had arguably the best running back in the country, Kenneth Walker III, toting the rock. He ran for over 1,600 yards and 18 touchdowns that season, and leading a lethal ground attack. Walker even took home the Doak Walker Award for top running back in the nation.
Last season, the Spartans took a step back, which wasn't surprising given the departure of Walker, but the struggles were noticeable. Having a strong rushing attack was something MSU was always known for under previous head coach Mark Dantonio with backs like Le’Veon Bell, Jeremy Langford and others. Michigan State averaged just 113 yards per game in 2022, which was not good enough.
Running backs coach Effrem Reed was an offensive analyst for MSU in 2020 and 2021. He was promoted to running backs coach before the 2022 season and he is now entering his second year with that title in 2023.
It’s no coincidence that MSU’s combined record in 2020 and 2022, when the Spartans struggled to run the ball, was 7-12. Reed is hoping to get MSU back to its 2021 form this season.
“There’s no excuses,” Reed said at his post-practice press conference on Monday. “The continuity of our staff, we’ve been together, it’s going on year four now. So there’s no excuses. For us (the coaching staff), we gotta do a better job teaching, motivating, development and obviously our guys have to take some ownership as well.
“I do think we’re in a good position right now. These guys had a great spring. Obviously we only had one new addition this summer. For the most part, I think we’re in a good spot. The guys have been working hard and they understand as well that last year can’t happen again. There’s a standard at Michigan State when it comes to running the football and for us, we gotta uphold that standard every day at practice. I think these guys have answered the bell. It’s gonna be about being consistent from here on out.”
It’s no secret that head coach Mel Tucker likes to use the transfer portal to supplement the roster. The running back position is no exception. Tucker has grabbed the likes of Walker (Wake Forest), Harold Joiner III (Auburn), Jalen Berger (Wisconsin), Jarek Broussard (Colorado), Nate Carter (UConn) and Jaren Mangham (South Florida) all out of the portal over the past couple of seasons.
Walker and Broussard have since departed, and Joiner is now playing as a defensive back, but as a by-product of the portal, MSU has an extremely experienced running back room heading into the 2023 season with Berger, Carter, Mangham, Simmons (who signed with MSU's 2020 class) and more.
“I think that’s the biggest win that we have in our room,” Reed said about the experience in the running back position. “A lot of guys who’ve played a lot of football, who’ve done a lot of things well and they all bring a lot of different things to the table. That’s what I’m most excited about.”
With so many experienced guys at one position, it creates competition. Not every back can have the majority of the carries. As Reed mentioned, the running back rotation will be based on what is best for the team as a whole.
“As a former running back myself, you want to go out there and have 30 carries a game,” Reed said. “But, it’s all about what makes the team successful. You’ve seen teams, Georgia’s done it in the past, LSU, a lot of other schools, they’ve had three or four guys rotate in and they’ve had success.
"Obviously, you gotta have guys who fit our core values. And one of our core values is selfless. If it takes you going out there and just being a third-down back, you got to buy into that role. You may not get 30 carries, but whatever you can do to go out there and execute and help your team win, you gotta be able to humble yourself and do it.”
Reed had a conversation with the running backs before playing time could become an issue. Reed understands that his job is to put the guys out there that will help the team win.
“So whoever is helping us win, whoever’s got the hot hand, whoever does it in practice on a consistent basis, that’s who’s gonna play,” Reed said.
Reed said that this is the most competitive the running backs room has been since he’s been in East Lansing. He said that “it shows up on film” in practice.
Coming off of Walker’s electric 2021 season, the running backs had high expectations to fill the unwearable shoes of Walker in 2022.
“I think last year we had an issue where we were trying so hard to make the big play,” Reed said. “Everyone wanted to be Kenneth Walker. We were coming off an 11-win season … We were coming off that year with that guy. The next guy comes in and they want to be him. Well, everyone’s not Kenneth Walker. You gotta play your game. Guys were trying so hard to make the big play. Let’s be consistent, do our job and the big plays will take care of itself.”
Another big issue last season in the running game was the health of the offensive line. Now that the offensive line is mostly healthy, except for center Nick Samac (for now) and redshirt freshman Gavin Broscious, it should make the ground game more effective this season.
Reed feels good about the group of players assistant head coach/offensive line coach/run game coordinator Chris Kapilovic has available.
“I think it makes my job a lot easier,” Reed said when talking about the healthy offensive line. “It makes my guys’ job a lot easier. I think we have a lot of trust in those guys. I trust (Coach) Kap(ilovic) completely, and I trust the job he’s doing. The same thing with our backs. They trust the offensive line.”
Reed said that the backs and offensive linemen have been building chemistry throughout the summer. They’ve been going out to eat, going bowling and doing other relationship building activities.
While Carter and Mangham joined the program in January, the newcomer to the backfield this summer is true freshman Jaelon Barbarin. Barbarin is a 5-foot-8 back out of California that can absolutely turn the burners on. He once clocked a 10.37-second 100-meter time in high school.
“He probably (is) one of the fastest if not the fastest in the Big Ten,” Reed said about Barbarin. “He can run. He can fly.”
Reed mentioned that Barbarin needs to slow the tempo down. In high school, he was able to just out run every defender. Now that the defenders are faster in college football, Barbarin’s patience, vision and tempo are the key to him being an elite running back in the future.
Pass protection is another key to the running back position. Reed stresses that the two main rules in the running backs room are to protect the football and protect the quarterback. Reed was asked who he would put on the field in a Hail Mary pass protection situation. He said that Mangham and Simmons, in no order, are his top two pass protectors right now.
This season will be a pivotal year for Reed and the running backs. To get a full picture of what the personnel looks like, check out our running backs positional preview.
