Michigan State football will have its best backfield in a decade in 2021

No running back scored a touchdown for Michigan State last season. No, that’s not a typo; Michigan State had two rushing touchdowns all year and one was from quarterback Payton Thorne while the other was a Tyler Hunt tight end run.

Jordon Simmons was the team’s leading rusher as a true freshman, posting 219 yards on 3.9 yards per touch while Connor Heyward was close behind with 200 yards but he only picked up 3.1 yards per tote. Elijah Collins had a massive sophomore slump, rushing for just 90 yards on 41 carries, but he admitted COVID-19 side effects took a big toll on his body.

How could this backfield that had two 200-yard rushers and no one else over 90 rushing yards become the best Michigan State has had in a decade in just one year?

Newcomers have already improved the outlook as Auburn transfer and former four-star Harold Joiner, Wake Forest transfer Kenneth Walker III, and Davion Primm are all joining the team.

Add those guys to a healthy Collins, a potential breakout star in Simmons, and a veteran like Heyward and you have one of the deepest backfields in recent Michigan State history. This rivals a backfield that ran out Le’Veon Bell, Edwin Baker, and Larry Caper and immediately transitioned to Jeremy Langford.

Could this be better than any backfield Mark Dantonio ever had?

Comparing Michigan State football’s 2021 backfield to Dantonio’s best

Michigan State has 2-3 guys who could realistically rush for 1,000 yards. Collins nearly did so as a redshirt freshman in 2019, Walker III is dubbed as the fifth-best returning running back in the country, Simmons has breakout potential, and Joiner was one of the best running backs in his recruiting class.

These guys, along with depth pieces such as Heyward, Primm, and Donovan Eaglin who running backs coach William Peagler called one of the most improved players this spring, will wreak some havoc on defenses.

This is all assuming the offensive line improves as well.

Let’s take a look at some of Dantonio’s best backfields and see how this group compares.

• 2007: Javon Ringer, Jehuu Caulcrick
• 2010-2011: Le’Veon Bell, Edwin Baker, Larry Caper
• 2014: Jeremy Langford, Nick Hill, Delton Williams
• 2015-2016: LJ Scott, Gerald Holmes, Madre London

Obviously, Le’Veon (2012), LJ Scott (2017), and Langford (2013) had some great single seasons of their own, but they were the only quality pieces in the backfield during those seasons.

Where would this backfield of Walker III, Collins, Simmons, and Joiner land in that group? Probably at the top, if we’re being completely honest. Walker III is one of the best running back transfers in the nation, Collins showed that he can be a 1,000-yard rusher when he’s healthy, Simmons would have been a star if he had a decent offensive line in 2020, and Joiner can be that pass-catching specialist. Heyward, Primm, and Eaglin are complementary depth pieces.

The 2021 season could be a special one for Michigan State’s run game.