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Michigan State Football: 5 players who will be All-Big Ten performers in 2017

By Connor Muldowney

Nov 19, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back LJ Scott (3) runs the ball during the second half of a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 19, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back LJ Scott (3) runs the ball during the second half of a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 29, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back LJ Scott (3) runs the ball against Michigan Wolverines linebacker Mike McCray (9) during the first half of a game at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back LJ Scott (3) runs the ball against Michigan Wolverines linebacker Mike McCray (9) during the first half of a game at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /

Someone who doesn’t get talked about nearly as much as he should happens to be one of the Big Ten’s best returning running backs. Heck, some would argue that he’s a top-two or three back in the conference and that’s quite an honor considering there are two others on his own team who could start at other schools.

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LJ Scott is coming off his best season as a Spartan, rushing for 994 yards and six touchdowns as a sophomore. He also added receiving to his game in 2016, catching 10 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown. If he can use his hands out of the backfield to bail out Lewerke under pressure, he’s going to be that much more effective of a running back.

It’s widely assumed that his junior season will be his last in East Lansing, barring some sort of setback. The shelf life for running backs these days is short and Scott will likely forgo his senior season to enter the NFL Draft, especially if he improves in the way he has over the past two years.

The coaching staff fumbled the handling of Scott in 2016, often steering away from the ‘hot hand’ theory. Often Scott would be the best option with 20-plus carries in a given game, but the staff would rotate Gerald Holmes and Madre London even when the sophomore was cooking.

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Don’t expect that to happen again as the staff learned its lesson. Scott will get a bulk of the carries and finish near the 1,500-yard mark for the season, adding 15 rushing scores.

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