Michigan State is already looking past the 2027 class and into 2028, and running backs coach Devon Spalding has put one of the top backs in that cycle near the front of the line.
The target is Cartae Ligon, a top-150 prospect out of Ohio who visited campus for the Northwestern game. Even though the Spartans lost that day, Ligon still left with a positive impression of what he saw from Pat Fitzgerald and the program. Spalding has kept the pressure on since then, too, making a stop at Ligon’s high school this week while Michigan State is on its bye.
MSU RBs coach Devon Spalding visited this morning during the bye week: https://t.co/ME9RYbCCFV
- Jason Killop (@JasonKillop) October 28, 2026
Ligon is ranked No. 140 overall and No. 11 among running backs in the 2028 class, and the Spartans are treating him like a major priority. With Cam Edwards and Jaz Patterson both set to graduate, the need at the position is only going to grow, and Spalding and Fitzgerald are clearly trying to get ahead of it now.
There’s been talk of Michigan State having a growing budget for future rosters, and Ligon appears to be one of the names locked firmly in the staff’s sights. That makes this an important early battle for the Spartans as they try to build the next wave of the backfield.
For Spalding, the timing of the push makes sense. His first season in East Lansing has been packed with injuries and constant lineup shuffling, and the running backs room has taken the brunt of it.
Cam Edwards got hurt in the first month after a strong start that had people believing he could be the first 1,000-yard rusher since Kenneth Walker III. Jaz Patterson then took over and performed well before missing the UCLA game, and he now has the bye week to recover before Michigan. That absence mattered, because the run game struggled badly against UCLA and Marvis Parrish also left with an injury and did not return.
Kenneth Williams ended up handling the workload, which was a surprise considering Brandon Tullis was the team’s top returning rusher coming into the year. Jace Clarizio, meanwhile, is apparently no longer traveling with the team.
Michigan State needs help in that room, and it’s making sure Ligon knows it.
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