Michigan State football is set to host Georgia running back transfer Andrew Paul starting on Saturday afternoon.
Mel Tucker had a lot of close recruiting misses that drove fans insane. One thing the former Michigan State football coach was good at, though, was evaluating talent. He could recruit fairly well, but his ability to evaluate certain players was impressive.
One of the guys he was in on before he truly blew up on the recruiting circuit was three-star running back Andrew Paul.
Paul, a native of Dallas, was a late riser in the recruiting rankings and finished as the No. 522 overall prospect in the 2022 class. He was a little underrated, as evidenced by his offer sheet. While Tucker and MSU were one of his top options, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to commit to powerhouse Georgia and that impressive backfield.
No Michigan State fan could truly blame him.
Paul redshirted in 2022 and played sparingly as a freshman in 2023, rushing 29 times for 129 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 4.4 yards per carry in a loaded backfield and he was expected to have an even bigger role in 2024. However, after the Georgia spring game, he decided to hit the transfer portal.
On Friday, Pete Nakos of On3 reported that Michigan State was once again pursuing him.
The Spartans will get a visit from Paul on Saturday which is big-time, especially since he figures to be a solid Power Four running back with a bright future. He brings a different skill set to the table with his 5-foot-11, 218-pound frame that would complement Nathan Carter.
One of his runs during Georgia’s spring game caught my eye.
This is the type of running style Michigan State has been missing since Kenneth Walker III left. Just a bruising running back who can put a hurt on would-be tacklers and who has acceleration after initial hits has ‘Spartan’ written all over him.
While the Spartans received a crystal ball to land UMass running back Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams on Friday, I wouldn’t mind Paul being the main target.
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