MSU running backs position battle heats up with two players standing out

In a highly competitive Spartans running back room, sophomore running backs Makhi Fraizer and Brandon Tullis have emerged as front runners for the starting job.

Michigan State Football held its final practice of training camp on Monday and narrowed down its list of potential starters at running back.

The room is stacked with competition including senior transfer from Sacramento State Elijah Tau-Tolliver, sophomores Fraizer and Tullis and freshmen Zion Gist and Jace Clarizio.

Head Coach Jonathan Smith is pleased with the overall competition of the running back room but said that Frazier and Tullis have emerged as leaders after a recent scrimmage.

“There’s still some competition, and it’s in a good way,” said Smith. “I mean, we just feel like we’ve got some depth to where we got a position group or two that we got more than two starters. We want to get guys in. I think with the running back room, we felt the run game was better on Saturday, so we were pleased with that. Brandon (Tullis) had some good carries, really all of them (the running backs) did. Makhi (Fraizer) ran it really well, caught the ball out of the backfield well, so we were pleased with that that room. That would be a particular one (room/position group) where you can see multiple guys back there.”

“Those guys (Fraizer and Tullis) stepped up and played really well,” said Smith.

Both Fraizer and Tullis are from Texas, have limited playing experience on the college level, and each carried the ball just seven times last season.

Giving the starting job two inexperienced backs may be a risk but Smith sees promise in the sophomores.

Smith isn’t coach that shies away from playing inexperienced players if they have enough talent to start. Last season, quarterback Aidan Chiles led the Spartans’ offense as a sophomore even though he had limited experience as a freshman.

Early in the season the running back rotation could potentially be three players deep as the team narrows down the depth chart and ramps up competition over the course of the season.