Michigan State Named Among Top Six Landing Spots for RB Da’Jon Talley-Rhodes

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

In the top six.

Michigan State has been included in the final six teams for standout running back Da’Jon Talley-Rhodes.

Talley-Rhodes is currently listed as a three-star recruit with an 89 rating. That rating puts him right on the border between a three-star and four-star prospect, sparking some debate among recruiting analysts and giving him one of the highest three-star grades possible.

According to 247Sports, Talley-Rhodes stands at 6-foot-0 and 213 pounds. He holds a composite score of .8950 and ranks as the No. 388 overall player nationally. He is also listed as the No. 30 running back in the class and the No. 1 running back recruit out of the Washington, D.C. area.

The six teams listed in the graphic Talley-Rhodes posted on social media — alongside the caption “Where’s home?” — included five Big Ten programs and one outlier. The Big Ten schools featured were reigning champions Indiana, along with Washington, Penn State, Wisconsin, and Michigan State. The lone non-Big Ten program on the list was Boston College.

Talley-Rhodes currently plays at St. John’s High School in Washington, D.C.

Among the six finalists, the Spartans currently have the most running backs on their roster, according to 247Sports. Michigan State lists ten running backs, which makes the competition for playing time a notable factor moving forward.

Because of that, it will be interesting to see whether Talley-Rhodes embraces the challenge of competing in a crowded running back room or looks more closely at a program like Indiana. The Hoosiers currently list only five running backs on their roster and, after an undefeated national championship season, have plenty of momentum to pitch on the recruiting trail.

For Michigan State, however, the challenge goes beyond simple roster numbers. The Spartans are still working to convince recruits to buy into what the program can become, rather than allowing recent struggles to define it. Because of that, the coaching staff needs to be at its best every time it gets the opportunity to connect with a recruit like Talley-Rhodes.

The Spartans have entrusted that responsibility to running backs coach Devon Spalding.

Spalding arrived in East Lansing in January 2026 after spending the previous three seasons (2023–25) in the same role at Wisconsin.

During his time with the Badgers, Spalding coached two running backs who earned All-Big Ten honors, including Braelon Allen. Allen earned second-team All-Big Ten recognition in 2023 after rushing for 984 yards, which ranked third in the conference, while averaging a Big Ten-best 5.44 yards per carry. He also tied his career high with 12 rushing touchdowns.

Allen finished his Wisconsin career with 3,494 rushing yards — the ninth-most in program history — before being selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the New York Jets. He has spent the last two seasons playing in the NFL.

Before his time coaching in the Big Ten, Spalding spent three seasons (2020–22) at Youngstown State. During that stretch, he coached record-breaking running back Jaleel McLaughlin, who was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 after rushing for 1,588 yards.

Between two seasons at Division II Notre Dame College and two seasons at Youngstown State, McLaughlin set the NCAA all-division career rushing record with 8,166 rushing yards.

That résumé gives Spalding plenty to sell on the recruiting trail. Regardless of the number of running backs currently on the Spartans’ roster, a commitment from Talley-Rhodes would still present a clear opportunity to compete for meaningful reps and carve out a role in the offense.

Michigan State, in many ways, has already shown its hand when it comes to the program’s identity.

When head coach Pat Fitzgerald took over the program, he made it clear the Spartans would aim to win with gritty defense and a blue-collar offense built around the offensive line and running game.

If Talley-Rhodes were to ultimately choose Michigan State, East Lansing could provide an ideal stage to showcase his skill set. And if the Spartans have their way, the program hopes to continue building the kind of rushing attack that can send the next Kenneth Walker III to the NFL.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos