MSU Childhood Friends Competing for Starting Job

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Aug 9, 2025 6:31 PM ET

Michigan State has a competitive running back battle on its hands after losing veterans Nate Carter and Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams and bringing in veteran transfer Elijah Tau-Tolliver, who brings experience to a young room.

So far in fall camp, it would seem the battle is coming down to Tau-Tolliver and sophomore running backs Makhi Frazier and Brandon Tullis, two up-and-comers who each got only seven carries last season.

Frazier and Tullis are fighting for a starting job, but their connection goes beyond a position battle. The two young running backs are actually from the same town of McKinney, Texas, and were childhood friends.

"The cool thing is he (Tullis) literally lived like three minutes from me in McKinney, but he went to Frisco (Memorial) High School," said Frazier, who went to McKinney High School.

Frazier and Tullis go way back

The two would each commit to Michigan State in December of 2023, both having initially committed to Oregon State prior to Jonathan Smith's move to East Lansing.

"We played on the select football team together in Texas, and then we knew each other since middle school and stuff, so we've always been close friends," Frazier said. " ... I saw him the first time in, I want to say, fifth grade. He was bigger than everybody, which he's still kind of bigger than everybody, but he was a big kid at the time, and I was a little kid."

While the two friends are fighting for reps, that doesn't stop them from helping one another.

"We're super close," Frazier said. " ... Outside of practice, we hang out once in a while and just try to keep each other level and on the same playing field and know that we're competing for the job, but we also can have fun with it, too.

" ... We both know what we need to work on, and then, we both try to be able to help each other with that and just get better every single day."

Regardless of what comes of this running back battle, Frazier and Tullis should be better players because of it.

Keep up with all our Michigan State football content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share your thoughts on Frazier and Tullis' friendship when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE. Don't forget to give us a follow on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.