Michigan State football: 3 breakout candidates on offense for 2021

I know what you’re thinking: Kenneth Walker III is hardly a breakout candidate because he had two solid seasons at Wake Forest and PFF ranked him the fifth-best returning running back in college football for 2021. My simple answer to this: he has never broken 600 yards in a single season and he’s hardly a household name nationally.

That’s going to change.

Walker III has been working hard all offseason to get in shape and really acclimate himself with the Michigan State offense and he’s considered by many to be the crown jewel of Mel Tucker’s transfer portal class.

Having an absolute truck of a body and great vision and decent burners, Walker III is going to break his previous career-highs in rushing yards and I wouldn’t put it past him to record his best yards per carry (5.9) average in 2021, either.

Not many fans outside of the ACC or East Lansing know about Walker III and that’s going to change in a hurry, as long as the offensive line continues its improvement under Chris Kapilovic — which I believe it will. He’s going to approach that 1,000-yard mark and maybe give Michigan State its first such rusher since 2014.

Walker III will be a household name by the end of the season.