Nate Carter has a chance to be special for Michigan State football in 2024

There aren't many more intriguing players on Michigan State football heading into the 2024 season than UConn running back transfer Nate Carter.

The former Husky back rushed for 983 yards and three touchdowns in two seasons with UConn and it would have been even more if he hadn't gotten hurt just five games into the 2022 campaign. He had 405 yards and a touchdown on 6.2 yards per carry with the Huskies in 2022 before going down early in the fifth game and never returning.

After transferring to Michigan State in 2023, he racked up 798 yards and four touchdowns on 4.3 yards per carry. He also caught 22 passes for 103 yards.

On paper, it was his best collegiate season. But the numbers don't quite do what he accomplished justice. He was able to run for 800 yards behind one of the worst offensive lines in the Power Five and he managed to average nearly 4.5 yards per touch. That alone should have earned him some All-Big Ten recognition.

Now, he'll be running behind a vastly improved offensive line with a much better offensive-minded coaching staff in place. The sky is the limit for the shifty Kenneth Walker III-lite back.

Just look at what Jonathan Smith and Co. did with Damien Martinez. He came to Oregon State as a high-three-star running back in the 2022 class and molded into a 2,100-yard rusher over two seasons. He was one of the best running backs in college football in 2023 and transferred to Miami where he's expected to be an All-American candidate. If Smith can do that with Martinez, he can surely work wonders with a proven, shifty back like Carter.

Plus, that offensive line improvement and having a quarterback that defenses will be forced to respect through the air are only going to help him.

I said this before the 2023 season because I believed it and I still do: Nate Carter has a chance to be a special player for Michigan State and 1,000-plus yards are calling his name in 2024.