I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t love Jonathan Smith’s move to add Elijah Tau-Tolliver from the FCS last offseason, but I was definitely wrong. My gut told me that Tau-Tolliver wasn’t going to see the field much with Michigan State’s backfield looking relatively loaded, but he proved that I had no idea what I was talking about, leading the team with 5.9 yards per carry.
The Sacramento State transfer ended up being the most efficient rusher on the roster and he finished second on the team with 428 rushing yards and two scores.
Makhi Frazier was the starter at running back and he did OK, but whenever Tau-Tolliver was in the game, he was pressing all the right buttons. It still baffles me that Tau-Tolliver only received 72 carrit’s and 18 receptions over 12 games under Smith, but that’s just another instance of the last coaching staff mismanaging another talented weapon.
Unfortunately, Michigan State got just one year of Tau-Tolliver and it happened under a coaching staff that wasted his talent.
Tau-Tolliver is now with the Baltimore Ravens. He went undrafted over the weekend and then signed a deal with the Ravens that will give him a legitimate opportunity to make the 53-man roster in the fall.
The door is cracked for him on the depth chart.
Opportunity is knocking for Elijah Tau-Tolliver
Spartan fans may not remember ETT fondly because he played in a forgettable era, but I have a feeling that those who didn’t appreciate him enough are going to end up claiming him soon. I think he has a legitimate shot at making the Ravens’ roster if they hold on to 3-4 guys in the backfield.
Baltimore is obviously led by Derrick Henry who’s signed with the organization through 2027 and he’s going to be the starter probably until he decides to hang it up.
Justice Hill is a more than capable back who has shown plenty of explosiveness while Henry is more of the bruiser. The two complement each other nicely and have formed an interesting 1-2 combo in the Ravens’ backfield that I don’t see being touched or messed with this season.
So we can safely say that Tau-Tolliver has no shot at the two-deep.
However, the third-string slot is open.
Rasheen Ali is currently listed as the Ravens’ projected third-string running back, but the 2024 fifth-round pick has just 17 carries for 55 yards and no touchdowns over two years. Tau-Tolliver can prove to be more efficient and streal a roster spot from the former draft pick. Adam Randall, too, is a name to watch for as the Ravens’ fifth-round pick out of Clemson, but that’s an even playing field for ETT since both are rookies.
If Baltimore takes 3-4 running backs, I’d think that ETT is right there in the 4-5 range. Another guy who I believe will start the year on a practice squad but will eventually get the call up to the active roster.
The Ravens’ backfield is far from set in stone after Henry and Hill.
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