Elijah Tau-Tolliver was Michigan State football's lone portal addition at running back this offseason.
In 11 games for the Sacramento State Hornets, Tau-Tolliver racked up an impressive 958 yards and seven touchdowns on 184 carries. His hands flashed in the passing game too, as he caught 38 passes for 317 yards and two touchdowns. The rest of the room features two talented sophomores in Brandon Tulis and Mahki Frazier.
Plus, a true freshman who Michigan State stole from Alabama right before signing day, in Jace Clarizio. With a very young group behind him, it is expected that Tau-Tolliver will be relied on heavily to lead the Spartans' backfield.
Making the case
Tau-Tolliver came from FCS Sacramento State, where they went a bleak 3-9 last fall. Despite that, Tau-Tolliver still put up a noteworthy 5.2 yards per carry. Another underrated part of his game is the ability to catch balls out of the backfield. 38 catches is no joke. To put that in perspective, Nate Carter and Kayron Lynch-Adam’s combined for only 33 catches last year.
In two games versus FBS opponents in 2024, Tau-Tolliver ran for 36 carries for 184 yards and two touchdowns. That comes out to 5.1 yards a carry so there wasn’t much, if any, drop off when he played his best competition.
Jonathon Smith at Big Ten media days has also boasted about the new and improved offensive line, saying how they will be the most improved unit this season. If that’s the case, that can only make things easier for a guy making the transition to Big Ten football.
Tau-Tolliver’s blend of experience with nearly 300 collegiate carries, ability to catch balls out of the backfield, and physicality almost certainly gives him leg up on the rest of the backfield. I think Tau-Tolliver will provide a nice balance of production and leadership while letting the younger backs develop before fully taking over in 2026.
With fall camp right around the corner, it should be fun to see how the running back depth chart shakes out. If I were a betting man, I’d take Tau-Tolliver to lead the Spartans in rushing this season.