Michigan State enters the 2026 season with plenty of new faces and questions surrounding its offense, but the Spartans may already have their answer at running back.
UConn transfer Cam Edwards arrives in East Lansing after putting together the best season of his college career, giving Michigan State an experienced and proven option to lead its rushing attack. After four seasons at UConn, Edwards now gets an opportunity to prove himself against Big Ten competition while becoming a major piece of the Spartans’ offense.
Edwards is coming off a breakout 2025 season in which he rushed for 1,240 yards and 15 touchdowns on 210 carries, averaging 5.9 yards per attempt. He also added 19 receptions for 187 yards, showing he can contribute beyond simply carrying the football. His 15 rushing touchdowns ranked 13th nationally, while his 1,240 rushing yards ranked 15th among FBS players.
Those numbers weren’t built on just a few big performances, either. Edwards recorded five 100-yard rushing games and scored at least one rushing touchdown in 11 of UConn’s 13 games. His biggest performance came against Ball State, when he rushed for a career-high 194 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. He finished the year with three straight 100-yard games, including 108 yards and a touchdown against Army in the Fenway Bowl.
A Proven Running Back Comes to East Lansing
Edwards isn’t a one-year wonder.
Over his four seasons at UConn, he developed into one of the most productive running backs in program history. He finished his UConn career with 2,690 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns, while averaging 5.6 yards per carry. He led the Huskies in rushing in three consecutive seasons from 2023-25 and left the program ranked fifth in school history in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.
Now, Michigan State gets to see whether that production can translate to the Big Ten.
Edwards brings a downhill running style that should give the Spartans a reliable option between the tackles, but his ability to create after contact may be what separates him. According to Michigan State, Pro Football Focus credited Edwards with 763 yards after contact in 2025, 18th-most among FBS running backs. He also produced 28 runs of at least 10 yards.
At 5-foot-11 and listed at 206 pounds on Michigan State’s 2026 roster, Edwards has the combination of size and experience to handle a significant workload.
Expectations Are Already Growing
Edwards hasn’t even played his first game in green and white, but he’s already receiving national recognition.
The fifth-year senior was named to the 2026 Maxwell Award Watch List, an honor given to players considered among the top candidates for college football’s player of the year award.
That recognition shows the type of player Michigan State believes it is adding to its offense.
For Edwards, however, 2026 will be about more than putting up another impressive stat line. This is his opportunity to show that the production he put together at UConn can carry over against a much tougher Big Ten schedule.
For Michigan State, he’s an opportunity to establish an identity on offense.
A productive running game can take pressure off the quarterback, open up the passing attack and give the Spartans something they can rely on when games get tight. Edwards has already shown he can be that type of player.
Now he gets his biggest stage yet.
If Edwards can come close to matching his 2025 production while making the jump to Big Ten football, Michigan State may have landed one of the most important transfer additions on its roster, and potentially one of the conference’s breakout running backs in 2026.
