State of the Program – RBs: Does Michigan State have anything behind Nate Carter?
EAST LANSING, Mich. – The following is the eighth in a series of articles projecting Michigan State’s football depth chart, heading into preseason camp. Our goal is to provide analysis on the latest developments at each position, and reacquaint the fanbase with names and faces on the roster heading into Jonathan Smith’s first season at Michigan State.
RUNNING BACK:
1. NATHAN CARTER (5-10, 202, R-Jr., Rochester, NY)
No position epitomizes the transient nature of college football these days at Michigan State more than running back. Nine different scholarship players have carried the ball at tailback for Michigan State in the past two seasons. Only one of those players, Nathan Carter, remains in the program.
Gone are Harold Joiner, Davion Primm, Jalen Berger, Jaren Mangham, Jordon Simmons, Jaelon Barbarin. Gone from the 2022 team are Elijah Collins and Jarek Broussard.
Joiner, Berger, Mangham and Broussard were players who transferred to Michigan State.
Primm, Simmons and Barbarin didn’t pan out for various reasons.
Carter is joined by UMass transfer Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams, and incoming freshmen Brandon Tullis and Makhi Frazier on the 2024 Michigan State depth chart at RB. None of them were at Michigan State in 2022.
Carter, who transferred to Michigan State from UConn prior to the 2023 season, is enthusiastic about wanting to be part of a rebuilding solution at Michigan State. He told media following the 2023 season finale loss to Penn State that he planned to remain a Spartan, regardless of who the next head coach would be. That was when most of the football world knew that Jonathan Smith was going to be hired within the following day or two.
What we know now is that Smith was secretly engaged at the time, to a fellow Michigan State student, the former Madison Kragt. They were married this past May.
It’s not inconceivable to conclude that Madison Kragt had more to do with keeping Carter at Michigan State than anyone or anything. Good for her.
If Carter had left, the entire Michigan State backfield would be manned by new faces in 2024. As it stands, Carter is the lone returning scholarship backfield player, with the Spartans sporting four new quarterbacks and three new scholarship running backs.
Carter is a bright, engaging person who exudes loyalty. Even when he made the difficult decision to leave UConn for Michigan State in 2022, he was showered with well wishes from former teammates and coaches who supported his decision while acknowledging that UConn was losing a leader and model teammate.
Nathan Carter photo by Marc Lebryk | USA Today Network.
Carter led Michigan State with 798 yards rushing (4.3 per attempt) last season. He had three games of 100 yards rushing or more (108 vs Iowa, 111 vs Richmond and 113 vs Central Michigan).
He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors from coaches and media while finishing ninth in the conference in rushing.
“He has got some vision and instinct,” head coach Jonathan Smith said of Carter. “He’s got patience. It’s not about, run as fast as you can. You’ve got to set up some blocks.”
Carter is a quality, established running back. It will be interesting to see whether he blossoms as a receiver.
Carter had 22 catches last year, ranking seventh on the team. However, Carter’s receptions produced by last year’s offensive scheme averaged only 4.6 yards per catch.
It’s difficult to average so few yards per catch, but Michigan State managed to arrive at that figure for Carter’s 22 receptions, while Jaren Mangham averaged just 5.2 yards on seven catches.
Springing running backs into the open via the pass wasn’t a strength of the previous staff.
At Oregon State, running backs weren’t featured in the pass game last year, but yards per catch were significant.
Oregon State tailback Damien Martinez had only 11 catches last year, but averaged 11.4 yards per catch. His backup, Deshaun Fenwick, averaged 8.4 yards on nine receptions.
There are indications from Carter and Smith that Carter will be utilized more as a receiver in 2024. It might be hard to build on the 22 catches he posted in 2024, but the yards per carry on those coaches could improve significantly.
“You want to have some diversity in the way you get guys the ball out of the backfield,” Smith said. “He can catch the ball out of the backfield. He understands the concepts. We are going to ask him to pass protect some, and he has been on that as well.”
In the Spring Showcase, Carter had two catches for 26 yards. He caught a short flare for a gain of nine, and had a 17-yard TD on a flag/wheel.
“I think in this offense that I am able to be versatile,” Carter said. “I am able to show that I can catch the ball out of the backfield. And with our offense, where the running back is very high out of the backfield, I have the opportunity to help our offense.”
1. KAY’RON LYNCH-ADAMS (5-10, 215, 6th, Warren, Ohio | UMass transfer)
Adams transferred to Michigan State after spring practice, and has been participating in workouts in East Lansing throughout the summer.
He rushed for 1,157 yards last year at UMass. He showed durability in ranking No. 13 in the nation in carries with 236. He also had 20 catches last year for 118 yards (5.9 per catch).
“A year ago he (Lynch-Adams) was banged up, and we didn’t get the best that he had to offer,” UMass head coach Don Brown said last fall. “This year we’re getting the best out of Kay’Ron. He’s playing at a high level. He’s not the biggest guy in the world but he just finds a way to gain yards and make guys miss, but he’s gaining a lot of yards after contact and he’s a great kid, too.”
In 2022, he rushed for 297 yards on 84 carries as a back-up.
In 2021, he played four games at UMass and was able to preserve redshirt status after going down with a season-ending injury in game four.
In 2020 as a true freshman at Rutgers, he rushed 48 times for 161 yards (3.3 per carry).
Lynch-Adams was a three-star recruit (86.0), ranked No. 765 in the nation and No. 32 in Ohio by the On3 Industry Rankings, coming out of Warren (Ohio) Harding High.
“We liked his physicality, the production he’s already had,” Smith said of Adams at Big Ten Media Days. “Maturity. He’s been working since he got here. I know he’s excited about the opportunity.”
THE BOOK ON LYNCH-ADAMS
Last year, Lynch-Adams was listed at 205 pounds, five pounds heavier than Carter. This week on Michigan State’s official roster, Lynch-Adams is listed at 215 – 10 pounds heavier than last fall.
I watched all 15 of his carries in a 79-yard rushing performance during UMass’s 41-30 victory over New Mexico State in September of 2023. New Mexico State went on to have a 10-3 regular season record, including a victory over Auburn.
Lynch-Adams is a short strider with quick feet and decisive one-cut burst. He can jump cut, but he’s not a dancer.
He didn’t look like a guy who can move the pile or break a lot of tackles, but that was theoretically 10 pounds a go. He did a good job of getting fall-forward yardage at 205 pounds.
He has good, not great, top end speed. But he gets up to speed very quickly. That short-area burst, along with good vision and durability, are probably his best assets.
+ Real nice run against New Mexico State on a third-and-two situation in the first half. NMSU’s defensive line gained penetration, but Lynch-Adams broke the tackle attempt by a defensive end with a stiff arm, and then spun away from the middle linebacker.
He showed good jump cut ability on this play.
+ He showed good vision on a pair of bounce-outside TD runs of 10 and 21 yards against NMSU, both on inside zone runs that broke open to the outside.
3. BRANDON TULLIS (6-1, 215, Fr., Dallas)
Tullis came to Michigan State rated as a low three star recruit (83.95), ranked No. 1,598 in the nation and No. 226 in Texas by the On3 Industry Rankings. However, he eclipsed those modest forecasts with a quality, productive day at the Spring Showcase.
Operating as an early freshman mid-year enrollee, Tullis repped as the No. 2 running back at the spring scrimmage. He had seven carries for 48 yards and looked like a guy who belongs on a college football field right now, better than Davion Primm and arguably better than Jalen Berger. Berger has since transferred to UCLA, and Primm transferred to Morehead State.
Tullis’s unofficial scorecard from the Spring Showcase:
+ Gain of 15 on an inside zone right. He cut back to the left. This was on the second string’s first drive of the day.
Michigan State defensive end Quindarius Dunnigan came in unblocked (Freshman RT Charlton Luniewski left Dunnigan unblocked and climbed out to the LB level. It’s unclear whether Luniewski missed an assignment, or TE Michael Masunas missed an assignment, or if Dunnigan was supposed to be unblocked and “optioned” on this play. It’s more likely that Luniewski or Masunas missed an assignment.)
Whichever, Tullis had to make Dunnigan miss immediately and did so with a quick cutback move.
On the other side of the play, defensive end Jalen Thompson didn’t squeeze down on the outside C gap enough, and left some daylight. Tullis cut through that daylight. (Elsewhere, left guard Gavin Broscious got out to ILB Wayne Matthews and cut him off; and WR Nick Marsh executed a good block on CB Ade Willie. Safety Jaylen Thompson made the tackle as both he and Tullis slipped to the ground).
+ Gain of 17 on an inside run. Getting a block from center Tanner Miller vs blitzing LB Jordan Hall, Tullis pressed the daylight and turned in a nice run.
Broscious did a good job of getting out on ILB Cal Haladay, turning and sealing him inside with pretty good pop. (It looked like Haladay might have gotten out of his gap, and Broscious kept him there).
+ Gain of five on third-and-two with 1:44 left in the game, as part of the four minute drill. On a duo inside run (that means two double-teams by offensive linemen), Tullis moved the chains. MLB Brady Pretzlaf pressed the A gap quickly, maybe too quickly.
In most duo blocking schemes, the RB has the MLB. The RB is supposed to read the MLB and go where the MLB is not. But in this case, the MLB was in Tullis’s face immediately and it basically became an Oklahoma drill. Tullis side-stepped Pretzlaf and picked up the first down, basically ending the scrimmage.
4. MAKHI FRAZIER (5-10, 214, Fr., McKinney, Texas).
Frazier is a low three-star recruit (83.6), ranked No. 1,700 in the nation and No. 236 in the On3 Industry Rankings.
Frazier is a curious prospect at the running back position. He had only 39 carries (177 yards) as a high school senior while earning most of his postseason honors as a linebacker.
As a junior, he rushed for 266 yards, resulting in a scholarship offer from Oregon State, a visit and a summer commitment. He then re-opened the process after Smith took the job at Michigan State and ultimately signed with the Spartans.
Frazier is a between-the-tackles type of battler with pretty good, not great, quickness and speed. It will be interesting to see how he develops as a ball carrier. His downhill toughness is theoretically a good match for Michigan State’s new offense.
PRESEASON ANALYSIS: The running back position should be as good or better than it was a year ago, provided that Carter enjoys a healthy season and continues to develop as an all-around player. Offensive line play was not a strength for the Spartans last year. It’s a big question mark heading into this season with only one returning starter, plus two incoming transfers who are likely to be starters. If the offensive line doesn’t come around, improvement at the RB position won’t come to the surface.
Adams is proven and durable. Tullis is on schedule. Frazier is likely a developmental guy. Walk-on Jaxon McCaig of Plymouth (Mich.) Canton High School is one to keep an eye on. He had offers from Buffalo and Marshall. He showed good first-cut quickness and good decisiveness in high school at 6-1, 220. He is now listed at 6-1, 236.
McCaig doesn’t have all the gears but he repeatedly showed good vision and instincts in making good cutbacks to daylight.
Transfer Shawn Foster (5-11, 175, Soph., Grand Ledge, Mich.) comes to the program after rushing for 77 yards at Hope College last season. He originally signed with Grand Valley State over Central Michigan, but ended up at Hope after GVSU’s running back coach left for Wisconsin. The former high school quarterback has good speed, and was invited to the team after a successful walk-on tryout.
Depth Chart Projection Series:
Quarterback full story.
Left Tackle full story.
Right Tackle full story.
Left Guard full story.
Right Guard full story.
Center full story.
Tight end full story.
QUARTERBACK
Aidan Chiles, 6-3, 213, Soph., Long Beach, Calif.
Tommy Schuster, 6-0, 200, Macomb Townshilp, Mich.
Alessio Milivojevic, 6-2, 216, Fr., Naperville, Ill.
Ryland Jessee, 6-4, 217, Fr., San Diego
RUNNING BACK
Nathan Carter, 5-10, 202, R-Jr., Rochester, NY
Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams, 5-10, 215, 6th, Warren, Ohio
Brandon Tullis, 6-1, 215, Fr., Dallas
Makhi Frazier, 5-10, 214, Fr., McKinney, Texas
TIGHT END
Jack Velling, 6-5, 246, Seattle, Wash
Brennan Parachek, 6-5, 254, Soph., Dexter
Michael Masunas, 6-5, 255, R-Soph., Tucson, Ariz.
Tyneil Hopper, 6-3, 257, Gr., Rosewell, Ga.
LEFT TACKLE
Brandon Baldwin, 6-7, 327, Sr., Detroit
Stanton Ramil, 6-7, 312, R-Fr., Alabaster, Ala.
Mercer Luniewski, 6-6, 320, Fr., Cincinnati
Jacob Merritt, 6-6, 286, R-So., Northville, Mich.
LEFT GUARD
Kristian Phillips, 6-4, 315, R-Soph., Conyers, Ga.
Gavin Broscious, 6-5, 288, R-Soph., Surprise, Ariz.
CENTER
Tanner Miller, 6-2, 297, Gr., Valencia, Calif.
Dallas Fincher, 6-4, 315, Sr., East Kentwood, Mich.
Cooper Terpstra, 6-4, 308, R-Fr., Holland, Mich.
Cole Dellinger, 6-4, 304, R-Fr., Clarkston, Mich.
RIGHT GUARD
Luke Newman, 6-4, 310, Gr., Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Dallas Fincher, 6-4, 315, Sr., East Kentwood, Mich.
Cooper Terpstra, 6-4, 308, R-Fr., Holland, Mich.
RIGHT TACKLE
Ashton Lepo, 6-7, 296, R-Soph., Grand Haven, Mich.
Charlton Luniewski, 6-5, 289, Fr., Cincinnati
Andrew Dennis, 6-5, 295, Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
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