When Cam Edwards committed to Michigan State in the winter, it was clear that Pat Fitzgerald was prioritizing the run game which is what thrived during the Mark Dantonio era.
Obviously Dantonio had some great quarterbacks, too, but he had some of the best running backs in Michigan State history like Javon Ringer, Jeremy Langford, Le’Veon Bell, and LJ Scott. Since he retired, Michigan State has only really had one true star running back and Kenneth Walker III won the Doak Walker Award back in 2021. Outside of that, the run game has been a disaster.
There’s almost a direct correlation between the Spartans having a lackluster running game and missing a bowl. Just look at the rushing stats and number of bowl berths since 2021.
Fortunately, Edwards is one of the best transfer running backs in the country and some believe that he’s going to be one of the Big Ten’s top rushers this season. Edwards believes that, and more.
After practice on Wednesday, Edwards spoke to the media and laid out some incredibly lofty goals for the upcoming season.
MSU RB Cam Edwards laid out his goals this season:
— Connor Earegood (@ConnorEaregood) August 12, 2026
- Win a lot of games
- Win the national championship
- Win a Big Ten championship
- Be the best RB in the country
The UConn transfer had 1,240 yards and 15 TDs last season. Likely MSU’s biggest offensive weapon. pic.twitter.com/nPvFryqorq
Every player is going to say that they want to win the title and be the best at their position, but you can tell that Edwards really believes it when he says it. He actually means that he wants to win a national championship, a Big Ten title, and then become the best running back in the country much like K9 did five years ago after transferring to Michigan State from Wake Forest.
Should we buy into these lofty goals?
The UConn transfer is coming off a 1,240-yard, 15-touchdown season with the Huskies and he was one of the most efficient backs in the Group of Five. Fans should absolutely buy his personal goals like becoming the best running back in the country, but he can only control one aspect of the offense.
Winning a lot of games with the schedule that the Spartans will see isn’t going to be easy and to win the Big Ten and a national title would mean that Michigan State needs to win probably all buy two of these games: at Notre Dame, at Wisconsin, at UCLA, at Michigan, Washington, and Oregon. That just doesn’t seem likely, so don’t buy the team accolades — yet.
Cam Edwards could be Pat Fitzgerald’s Javon Ringer
That phrase might be confusing, but Javon Ringer was the first great running back that Dantonio coached and he stuck around after John L. Smith was fired to play for the new head coach in 2007.
Ringer helped Michigan State get back to a bowl game for the first time in four years with a breakout season and then led the Spartans to nine wins the following year as he posted a career-high 1,637 yards and became Dantonio’s workhorse back. He helped engineer the program turnaround.
Edwards can be just that for Fitzgerald, even though this is his only season with the Spartans.
If he can help get Michigan State back to a bowl game while rushing for over 1,000 yards, he’s going to be looked back at as fondly as someone like Ringer, especially if the Spartans build on that bowl berth and piece together another golden era under Fitzgerald.
The opportunity is right there for Edwards to become a Spartan legend.
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