Michigan State football is currently in the process of identifying its starting running back for the 2025 season, and it sounds like running backs coach Keith Bhonapha sees something special in at least one of his backs.
While the running backs coach did praise his entire room from Elijah Tau-Tolliver to Jace Clarizio, he mentioned sophomore running back Brandon Tullis as someone to keep an eye on.
He told the media on Thursday that Tullis has developed into a good looking back and he has a chance to be "special".
Bhonapha:
— SpartanMag.com (@TheSpartanMag) August 7, 2025
“Brandon Tullis has developed into a good looking running back. He has a chance to be special. A big back like that, if he stays dialed in he will be an exciting player..”
It's been a few years since Michigan State had a running back that it could really depend on to pick up 5-6 yards regularly. Nate Carter showed flashes, but the offensive line just didn't do him any favors, and in my opinion, his average numbers weren't the fault of his own. That's a debate for a different day, but with the line improving this offseason, it's seemingly up to a running back to separate himself.
Bhonapha didn't say specifically that Tullis is separating himself from the pack, but he did say that the sophomore running back from Dallas, Texas, can be special if he stays dialed in.
As a true freshman, the 6-foot-1, 225-pound running back from Texas had just seven carries for 20 yards, but his frame was more than built for the Big Ten. If you're looking for a size comparison, Le'Veon was 6-2, 237 pounds at Michigan State, and he was considered a big back. Tullis isn't far off from that size.
If he can even be half as shifty as Le'Veon with a fraction of the vision and some speed, Tullis could be a problem for Big Ten defenses. He needs to win that RB1 job first.