Michigan State Football: Previewing RB battle for 2022 spring game

The case for Joiner

Harold Joiner, a Birmingham, Ala., native, is returning for his second year with the Spartans after spending his first three years with the Auburn Tigers. Joiner is an extremely talented player, having both the size and athleticism to make pro scouts salivate.

Unfortunately, he has not been seen on the field much, having 146 career rushing yards and 163 career receiving yards. He primarily played as Michigan State’s third-and-long back this year, utilizing his 6-foot-4 frame for blocking or the occasional check down.

Joiner had 13 carries and five catches for the Spartans last year. However, he only came to this team during the summer of last year, by then it appeared the coaching staff had fallen in love with Kenneth Walker, for a good reason. Additionally, Joiner had an early-season fumble against Northwestern which put him in the doghouse with the staff.

Outlook

With a full season and offseason under his belt, it wouldn’t be surprising to label Joiner as a breakout candidate. His athleticism and explosiveness alone should have coaches Effrem Reed and Jay Johnson find some way for Joiner to contribute. His early-season fumble in his first five carries did not endear him to the staff, but everyone has had a year to move on.

Joiner also appeared to be a little banged up on that play, and it is unclear how much or if the injury affected him the rest of the year. Joiner is likely to at least reprise his role as the third-and-long blocking specialist, but don’t write him off as a candidate to become a workhorse for this offense.