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Tag: La’darius Jefferson

La’Darius Jefferson enters transfer portal

La’Darius Jefferson’s name is in the NCAA transfer portal, Spartan Tailgate has confirmed. The potential departures of Jefferson and Heyward would leave MSU with a young stable of scholarship running backs that includes redshirt freshman starter Elijah Collins and true freshmen Anthony Williams Jr. and Brandon Wright. MSU also has junior walk-ons Alante Thomas and Noah Sargent at the position. Redshirt sophomore Weston Bridges was moved from running back to wide receiver during spring practice.

Source: Spartan Tailgate

October 8, 2019
La’Darius Jefferson takes over key role at RB

Connor Heyward is gone. La’Darius Jefferson remains. That means a new job for Jefferson as Michigan State’s third-down and top running back in pass protection, a role that Heyward held for his final three games before entering the NCAA transfer portal Monday.“La’Darius is a motivated football player,” Dantonio said Tuesday. “He played a lot of football for us last year. He should play more football for us now.”

Source: Detroit Free Press

October 2, 2019
Will ‘Pound Green Pound’ make rebound at MSU with Connor Heyward, La’Darius Jefferson?

“Pound Green Pound” is still a phrase used around Michigan State. For years it described the way the Spartans played on offense. From the days under George Perles all the way through Mark Dantonio, the game plan was to be a team that established the run with talented backs running behind a big, physical offensive line.

Source: Detroit News

August 29, 2019
Running back a ‘very fluid’ position for MSU going into opener

“It means a lot being named the starter here at Michigan State, but you’ve got to go out there and perform,” Heyward said, “because if you don’t go out there and perform it doesn’t matter. Anybody can be named anything, but are you gonna go out there and back what you’re labeled as?”

Source: Spartan Tailgate

August 28, 2019
Michigan State football seeks first 1,000-yard RB since 2014

La’Darius Jefferson learned to shoulder important responsibility immediately in his college career. The high school state champion quarterback transitioned to running back in his freshman season at Michigan State. He got pressed into duty with LJ Scott’s injury that altered the Spartans’ backfield plans completely. Now, Jefferson enters his second season in college with even more obligations: particularly his 1-month-old daughter, Jaylee, who is back home in Muskegon.

Source: Detroit Free Press

August 8, 2019
La’Darius Jefferson is more comfortable, confident after freshman season

About this time last year, La’Darius Jefferson experienced his introduction to college football. Playing running back for the first time in his life, the Michigan State true freshman didn’t exactly shine in pass rush drills the first week of padded practice. “I was just getting dominated,” Jefferson recalled.

Source: mlive.com

August 7, 2019
La’Darius Jefferson must maximize talent

No one knew what to expect from La’Darius Jefferson. Would he play offense? Defense? What position? A true freshman with immense athletic ability and strong leadership potential, Jefferson made the transition from state champion high school quarterback to major college running back.

Source: Detroit Free Press

June 25, 2019
Michigan State freshman tracker: First 4 games

Playing time for true freshmen has never been more interesting, as we’re living through the first season in which they can play up to four games and still maintain a redshirt year. Now that Michigan State is four games in, here’s a look at the first-year Spartans who have played and who might be next.

Source: Spartan Tailgate

October 4, 2018
La’Darius Jefferson stays ready to take advantage of unexpected opportunities

La’Darius Jefferson had family waiting to see him Saturday afternoon at Spartan Stadium. Before the Michigan State running back met up with them, he stopped to answer questions from media members after the biggest performance of his very young college career.

Source: MLive.com

October 1, 2018
Could La’Darius Jefferson see more reps in future?

Michigan State’s La’Darius Jefferson led the Spartans’ rushing game against Central Michigan. Could that mean more time for him in the future?

Source: Detroit Free Press

September 29, 2018
La’Darius Jefferson an unexpected early contributor after quick study at running back

La’Darius Jefferson came to Michigan State knowing full well how to make plays with a football in his hand. Jefferson ran for more than 2,000 yards as a senior at Muskegon en route to winning a state title and multiple statewide player of the year awards. But all those heroics came while playing quarterback, a position he wouldn’t play in college.

Source: MLive.com

September 27, 2018
Stock watch: Center battle remains ongoing

Three Spartans who helped and hurt their stock in No. 24 Michigan State’s 16-13 loss at Arizona State on Saturday night.

Source: Detroit Free Press

September 10, 2018
La’Darius Jefferson brings talent, smarts to Michigan State

Exactly who will La’Darius Jefferson be for Michigan State? Is he a running back? That’s the true freshman’s new position, one he has been focusing on learning since the spring, even before arriving on campus. “It’s a big difference because now you gotta catch the ball, you gotta block and you gotta run,” he said. “You gotta be able to pick up blitzes and all those great things. It’s a big transition.”

Source: Detroit Free Press

August 25, 2018
5 true freshmen to watch for this season for Michigan State

Allen Trieu of 247Sports offers five true freshmen who are the most likely to see the field this season for Michigan State.

Source: Detroit News

August 24, 2018
Michigan State football preview: LJ Scott leads running backs

LJ Scott returned to MSU for his senior season to be a bell cow back. MSU’s coaches sound happy to oblige. Expect Scott to see about 250 carries this season. He gives the Spartans’ high-end talent and proven big-game experience at the position. If he can hang on to the football and stay healthy, he should be in for a memorable season.

Source: Lansing State Journals

August 23, 2018
La’Darius Jefferson hits ‘reset switch,’ adjusts to RB role

It didn’t take La’Darius Jefferson long to realize he wasn’t in high school anymore. The former high school quarterback from Muskegon is making the transition to running back as a freshman at Michigan State, and as soon as the Spartans had the pads on the reality of his first preseason camp hit him hard — thanks to a fellow freshman.

Source: Detroit News

August 21, 2018
Position Preview: Running Backs

Running back is the next position on the docket in our pre-season position breakdowns. This is one that could have been a huge question mark for the Spartans had L.J. Scott gone to the NFL. His return makes things much simpler for MSU and could lead to a big senior season for Scott.

Source: The Only Colors

August 10, 2018
Michigan State will turn to youth at running back behind LJ Scott

When Michigan State started its first spring practice on Tuesday, LJ Scott worked out inside the Duffy Daugherty Building. On the practice fields outside, the rest of the running backs and fullbacks went through drills. At the front of the line and the first to get the ball was Connor Heyward, who made a mark as a true freshman last season. The other six backfield teammates behind him have combined for zero carries for the Spartans.

Source: MLive.com

March 2, 2018
5 Spartans signees who could make an early impact

Let’s be clear: Michigan State’s 2018 football recruiting class is not done. The Spartans still have work to do before National Signing Day on Feb. 7. But with 20 players already signed after the early period, and seven of them already on campus, the vast majority of the class has been finalized. And though there won’t be nearly as much turnover from 2017 to 2018 as there was from 2016 to 2017, there will still be opportunities for some of these players to make an early impact.

Source: Land of 10

January 23, 2018
Why MSU took quarterbacks La’Darius Jefferson, Javez Alexander to play other positions

La’Darius Jefferson and Javez Alexander could have signed elsewhere to play the position they starred at in high school. Instead, the two now-former quarterbacks were among the 20 Michigan State commits who sent in their Letters of Intent on Wednesday at the start of the early signing period.

Source: Spartan Tailgate

December 21, 2017