Michigan State running back Anthony Williams Jr. enters transfer portal

Michigan State Spartans sophomore running back Anthony Williams Jr. has entered his name in the transfer portal, according to multiple reports that have since been confirmed by the school.

Williams carried the ball just four times for five yards this season, including a fumble in last Saturday’s game against Indiana. Playing in 12 games in 2019, Williams ranked third on the team with 118 rushing yards on 38 carries (3.1 yards per carry), while adding six catches for 77 yards. He also returned five kickoffs for a total of 93 yards last season.

With the return of Connor Heyward to the team this season, the emergence of true freshman Jordon Simmons and with Elijah Collins and Brandon Wright still getting carries, Williams has seemed to fall out of favor in the running back rotation. The Spartans will also bring in a pair of talented recruits in the 2021 cycle with Audric Estime and Davion Primm. The writing seemed to be on the wall for Williams.

This is the second announced player on MSU to enter the transfer portal this week. Linebacker Marcel Lewis made his decision to do so on Monday. Head coach Mel Tucker said on his press conference yesterday that he expected more attrition to come to the roster, while making clear the types of players he wants in his program:

“There’s a certain type of culture and a certain type of player that we need to have here and that’s really non-negotiable,” Tucker said. “Everything’s an evaluation, and halfway through the season, at this point, we have a pretty good idea of who can do what. You can anticipate seeing some movement on our roster, whether it’s portal related or otherwise.”

Williams was rated as a three-star running back in the 2019 class. He was ranked as the No. 49 running back in the nation, No. 15 player in Illinois and No. 808 prospect overall.

Best of luck to Anthony, whom I had the pleasure of interviewing about his commitment to Michigan State back in 2018.