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Michigan State football received a prediction to land one of the top running backs in the transfer portal on Friday night.

Jonathan Smith has made one surprising position a priority in the transfer portal this week. The first-year Michigan State football coach could be targeting the obvious needs like receivers or defensive backs, but he’s instead making running back a priority which honestly is a smart move.

Going into the summer, Michigan State has Nathan Carter as the projected starter and workhorse back which isn’t a bad thing. He showed flashes of brilliance in his first year with the program, but he was doing work behind one of the worst Spartan lines in years. It was a miracle that he was even able to put up the numbers he did. He should be returning as the starter again. But behind him is a mixed bag. Do the Spartans trust Jalen Berger or Jaren Mangham to handle RB2 duties? Based on Smith’s portal activity, I’d say no.

On Friday, Corey Robinson of 247Sports reported that UMass running back Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams would be visiting Michigan State on Monday. He’s one of the top running backs in the portal, rushing for over 1,000 yards last year.

Later on Friday night, UMass insider Mike Traini placed a crystal ball in favor of Michigan State to land Lynch-Adams.

Is this just based on him scheduling a Michigan State visit shortly after entering the transfer portal? I’m sure Traini has more information than just a visit that would lead him to believe the Spartans lead. But this would be a huge addition for the Smith and Michigan State.

Bringing in a 1,000-yard rusher from UMass to complement Carter would be huge and it would provide much-needed depth. This could also mean that Michigan State is expecting more than just Jaelon Barbarin to transfer from the running back room.

Either way, it looks like MSU will be adding a running back this spring.

This article first appeared on Spartan Shadows and was syndicated with permission.

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