Michigan State football: 5 position battles to watch as 2018 fall camp begins
3. Backup running back
Who will get the tough task of following up LJ Scott when he needs a breather? That’ll be one of those key positions that will be more crucial than people expect. No one really talks about the backup running back spot, but this year is an exception to that.
Scott is the clear starter, so let’s get that out of the way. He’s no longer splitting carries with Madre London (transfer) and Gerald Holmes (graduation), so expect him to put up career numbers.
Behind him, though, are a few inexperienced backs with plenty of potential.
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First, there’s Connor Heyward who came to Michigan State as a three-star athlete recruit. He spent some time at running back in 2017 and also returned some kicks. He’s a strong runner who doesn’t go down easily with a 6-foot-0, 228-pound frame. He will be the favorite to back LJ up after a strong spring.
Next, Weston Bridges was the highly-touted four-star recruit in the 2017 class, but sat out his true freshman season to help nurse a knee injury, so his redshirt is still intact. He doesn’t get much love, but he has all the potential in the world.
After Bridges and Heyward are freshmen Elijah Collins from Detroit and La’Darius Jefferson from Muskegon, Mich. These two guys could play and still retain their redshirt, per the new NCAA rule, and depending on how well they do, they could ease into bigger roles.
A name that has been forgotten is Austin Andrews. The former defensive back has made the switch to running back and it’ll be interesting to see how he handles the new position.