Backup Michigan State RB signs undrafted free agent deal with Baltimore Ravens

Michigan State has had a history of producing great running backs, and when the program is experiencing any sort of success, it usually has NFL talent in the backfield.

Unfortunately, the Spartans haven’t had a single running back drafted since 2022, and you probably know who that was. Kenneth Walker III was the last Michigan State running back to hear his name called in the NFL draft and that came after an 11-2 Peach Bowl-winning season in which the Wake Forest transfer won the Doak Walker Award.

The nation’s best running back was selected in the second round by the Seattle Seahawks and there he won a Super Bowl MVP award and has since signed his first major contract worth over $43 million with the Kansas City Chiefs. There’s a good chance that he makes back-to-back Super Bowls.

Nate Carter showed NFL promise but went undrafted last year only to make the Atlanta Falcons’ 53-man roster before the season. He was a pleasant surprise for the Falcons.

Another Michigan State running back has entered the NFL, but this time it’s another undrafted instance. Backup running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver was a somewhat of a surprise performer for the Spartans in 2025, coming over from Sacramento State and playing his first year of FBS ball with Jonathan Smith and Co.

Although the season didn’t go as planned, Tau-Tolliver still managed to finish second on the team with 428 yards and two touchdowns on a team-best 5.9 yards per carry. He was efficient and probably should have gotten more than 72 carries over 12 games.

Now, the backup to Makhi Frazier has signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Baltimore Ravens.

Derrick Henry is still in Baltimore so it’s not like Tau-Tolliver is going to shock everyone and win the starting job, but given their depth chart at the position, I would not be shocked to see him make the 53-man roster much like Carter did in Atlanta a year ago after going undrafted.

Outside of Henry and Justice Hill, the Ravens don’t have anyone who has proven themselves worthy of that third-string running back spot. Could Tau-Tolliver battle fifth-round pick Adam Randall for that spot in 2026? Absolutely.

Elijah Tau-Tolliver deserved more love at Michigan State

Although he was a backup and only had 72 career carries in East Lansing, it was pretty clear to everyone in 2025 that he was the most efficient back that the Spartans had.

Frazier was solid and showed flashes which is why he was picked up quickly in the transfer portal by Ole Miss, but he missed three games and averaged 4.5 yards per carry compared to Tau-Tolliver’s 5.9. That alone should have been enough for Smith to give him more carries, but he decided to go with the guy he felt had a higher ceiling rather than the veteran from the FCS who was making the most of every carry.

On top of him being overlooked by Smith and Co., he was often forgotten among Spartan fans which, again, isn’t that fair when you consider he was a really solid backup option. If the Spartans went to a bowl game and finished with a winning record, I think we’d be singing ETT’s praises much more.

Let’s hope he can have the same impact that Carter did in Atlanta last fall.

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