Michigan State football: Run game should soon see a resurgence
Michigan State football got some good news over the weekend in terms of running back recruiting and on Monday, the Spartans landed two big offensive linemen to bolster the class’ depth up front.
That got me thinking: the run game is going to take off soon.
If you look at the backfield additions since Kenneth Walker III left the program for the NFL, there are some quality pieces there. Although Jarek Broussard didn’t quite pan out last season, Jalen Berger returns and should be a solid starter for Michigan State. He’s going to be pushed by UConn transfer Nathan Carter who has some electricity to him and USF transfer Jaren Mangham.
Following this season, the backfield is only going to get stronger. Carter and Berger could still return for another season and they’ll be joined by four-star Anthony Carrie and potentially four-star top-100 back Jason Brown.
The backfield is looking really strong and it’s only getting better.
But there’s another component to an elite run game that seems to be improving in East Lansing.
Michigan State football is building a strong offensive line
Over the past few recruiting classes, the offensive line has been continually getting better. The Spartans seem to land a number of their top targets on the line and depth is being built.
Heading into the 2023 season, the offensive line is finally becoming a strength.
Let’s take a look at the recent recruiting classes up front:
2021
- Geno VanDeMark, 4-star IOL
- Ethan Boyd, 3-star OT
- Brandon Baldwin, 3-star JUCO OT
- Kevin Wigenton, 3-star IOL
2022
- Gavin Broscious, 3-star IOL
- Ashton Lepo, 3-star OT
- Braden Miller, 3-star OT
- Kristian Phillips, 3-star IOL
2023
- Stanton Ramil, 4-star OT
- Keyshawn Blackstock, 4-star JUCO IOL
- Cole Dellinger, 4-star IOL
2024
- Andrew Dennis, 3-star IOL
- Mercer Luniewski, 3-star OT
- Logan Bennett, 3-star IOL
- Charlton Luniewski, 3-star IOL
As you can see, there are some stars in there mixed in with some solid depth pieces and Michigan State continues to build in the trenches. The run game wasn’t effective last season because of some injuries up front, poor reads by running backs, and just inconsistent play from the backs as well as the line.
It looks like depth won’t be an issue moving forward and both Chris Kapilovic and Effrem Reed are landing guys who could be All-Big Ten players.
The run game will soon see a resurgence in East Lansing.