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Published Dec 17, 2024
Sacramento State transfer RB Elijah Tau-Tolliver commits to Michigan State
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Jacob Cotsonika  •  Spartans Illustrated
Staff Writer
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@jacobcotsonika

Michigan State has added a veteran presence to its running back room, receiving a commitment from Sacramento State transfer Elijah Tau-Tolliver on Tuesday.

Tau-Tolliver visited East Lansing on Sunday and Monday.

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Given the departures of both running backs Nate Carter and Kay’ron Lynch-Adams, Tau-Tolliver will be expected to pick up a large role for Michigan State in offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brian Lindgren’s offense and assistant head coach/co-special teams coordinator/running backs coach Keith Bhonapha’s unit.

Tau-Tolliver has one year of eligibility remaining and will spend it with head coach Jonathan Smith, Lindgren, Bhonapha and the Spartans.

The former two-star recruit had a productive season in 2024 at the FCS level, rushing for 950 yards and seven touchdowns on 184 attempts (5.2 yards per carry) in 11 games. In addition, Tau-Tolliver caught 38 passes for 317 yards and two touchdowns in the passing game. He also received honorable mention All-Big Sky honors.

While the competition level may raise eyebrows, Tau-Tolliver has produced recently against FBS competition. In the Hornets’ 2024 season-opener against San Jose State, Tau-Tolliver had 131 scrimmage yards on 24 touches, scoring twice. The next week against Fresno State, he had 84 total yards on 15 touches.

While Tau-Tolliver didn’t return any kicks in 2024, but he did do so 42 total times in 2022 and 2023 combined, averaging 25.1 yards per return and taking one 95 yards for a touchdown. It is unclear if the Spartans plan to use him in that role, but notably, it is likely that all four players that returned a kick for MSU this past season will not be returning in 2025.

In total, Tau-Tolliver played 531 snaps, while starting all 11 games he played in during the 2024 campaign. PFF gave him an overall grade of 70.4 with a 75.1 when his squad ran the ball. He also received a total grade above the baseline of 60.0 in nine contests.

In 41 career games played with the Hornets, Tau-Tolliver recorded 275 rushes for 1,538 yards (5.6 yards per carry) and 14 touchdowns. He also totaled 48 receptions for 389 yards and two touchdowns.

As for the second running back spot behind Tau-Tolliver, it is currently expected that the player that will fill that spot is currently with the program and will not be from the portal.

Michigan State has taken in two running backs in each of its last two recruiting classes, bringing in Makhi Frazier and Brandon Tullis in 2024 and Jace Clarizio and Zion Gist in 2025. Frazier and Tullis each received seven carries this past season, rushing for 21 and 20 yards, respectively. Clarizio — who flipped his pledge back to Michigan State during the Early Signing Period after briefly being committed to Alabama —could also be a real challenger for the spot.

Tau-Tolliver is MSU’s fifth transfer portal pickup of the cycle, and the fourth such player to be added to the offense. Much of the remaining focus on that side of the ball will be on improving the offensive line. The staff particularly would like to add depth on the interior portion of the line on top of Luka Vincic, but there is a chance for reinforcements at the tackle position as well.

To follow all of Michigan State’s transfer portal activity, visit the Spartans Illustrated Transfer Portal Tracker.

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Stay locked in on the Rivals Transfer Tracker to keep up with the latest transfer news, portal entries, commitments, and rankings. For a deep-dive into the transfer portal, make sure you visit the Rivals Transfer Search page.

The Rivals Transfer Portal X account is a must-follow for any college football fan.

The winter college football transfer portal window is scheduled to open on Dec. 9, 2024 for 20 days. Additionally, players have a 30-day window to transfer when their head coach leaves. There is also a five-day window for players to transfer after their team has finished postseason play. A 10-day transfer window will open on April 16 as well.

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