STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State backfield is getting a facelift.
After junior running back Kylin Hill anchored the unit in a 235-carry, 1,347-yard, 10-touchdown effort this fall, the Columbus native announced Thursday that he will forgo his final year of eligibility to enter the 2020 NFL Draft.
With Hill’s future now sealed and senior tailback Nick Gibson set to exhaust his eligibility, the Bulldogs backfield is going to look plenty different next season.
At present, MSU is set to have four running backs as possible options to replace Hill in the form of rising senior Kareem Walker, sophomore Lee Witherspoon and freshmen Dillon Johnson and Jo’Quavious Marks.
Unlike this season, it’s expected that quartet will share carries — at least in some capacity — rather than let one single runner total the 235 carries Hill has received in 2019.
Walker is the best bet to garner the lion’s share of those touches. A one-time Michigan player and former four-star recruit, the Irvington, New Jersey, native spent this year as an academic redshirt after his arrival was delayed due to internal issues.
Walker previously ran for 207 yards and a touchdown on 64 carries at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas last year and worked with the Bulldog scout team throughout the fall.
“Even in the game he’s like another coach, he tells me what I can do better to help my game,” Hill said of Walker in October. “… He’s an older guy — he’s been in the game longer than me. So I’m very happy for him, very excited to come back. He’s been waiting on the moment.”
Behind Walker, Witherspoon should be in line for a number of carries himself. A former prep standout out of Birmingham, Alabama, he set the state single-season rushing touchdown record as a senior when he raced for 53 scores at North Jackson High School.
As a freshman, Witherspoon has drawn comparisons to former Georgia standout Nick Chubb for his small yet powerful stature — 5-foot-10, 205 pounds. In 10 games this season, he’s rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown on 18 attempts.
“He’s a hard worker,” MSU running backs coach Terry Richardson said of Witherspoon in August. “He’s a tough kid. He’s talented. Obviously you don’t run for all those yards he ran for if you don’t have any talent.”
Last of the bunch is the freshman tandem of Johnson and Marks. It’s unclear whether either will redshirt next season, but both offer top-flight potential in the immediate future and down the line.
Marks is the higher-rated prospect of the pair — No. 143 in 247Sports.com’s national rankings — and finished his 2019 campaign with 1,961 yards and 23 touchdowns in just nine games at Atlanta’s Carver High School.
Johnson was similarly prolific despite splitting touches with Oregon commit Trey Benson as the two led St. Joseph High School in Greenville to a MAIS 3A title Nov. 22 over Indianola. He finished his senior season with 1,665 yards and 24 touchdowns on just 120 carries — good for an average of 13.9 yards per touch.
Posting his official announcement to Twitter on Thursday afternoon, Hill said that he will play against Louisville in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30 in Nashville. And while the Columbus native will be off the NFL following the game, the Bulldogs look to have a firm base to replace the Associated Press first-team all-SEC performer’s numbers come next fall.
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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