Michigan State’s leading rusher a familiar name for Rutgers football fans

PISCATAWAY – It’s been a long college football journey for Michigan State’s leading rusher, but it’s one that started five years ago with Rutgers football.

Running back Kay’ron Lynch-Adams spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons with the Scarlet Knights before transferring to UMass, but now he’s with the Spartans and a player Rutgers’ defense will need to limit Saturday (3:30 p.m., FS1) at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.

The 5-foot-10, 215-pound Ohio native returned to the Power 4 level with the Spartans as a sixth-year graduate transfer, and through 11 games has a team-leading 580 yards rushing on 124 carries (4.7 yards per attempt) with two touchdowns.

Lynch-Adams’ production isn’t surprising to Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, who on Monday said he believed Lynch-Adams had this type of potential.

“I was disappointed when he left. I liked the young man, and I also really liked the football player,” Schiano said. “And I can remember exactly where I was when he called me to tell me he was leaving. I was truly disappointed, and really tried to keep him.”

Lynch-Adams played in nine games for Rutgers in 2019, finishing with 161 rushing yards on 48 carries. Then in 2020, he ran for 159 yards and one touchdown on 35 carries in the pandemic-shortened nine-game season.

The problem for Lynch-Adams was that there was a stellar running back atop the depth chart – now two-time Super Bowl champion Isiah Pacheco of the Kansas City Chiefs.

While Schiano didn’t want Lynch-Adams to leave, he couldn’t blame him either.

“I understood why,” Schiano said. “You know, you had this guy by the name of Pacheco in front of him, and he’s a pretty good player, too.”

Lynch-Adams was productive at UMass – last season he rushed for 1,157 yards on 236 carries with 12 touchdowns.

“It’s not like I have stayed in touch with him but I have a little bit,” Schiano said. “I really respect him. He’s a hard-working kid. He’s a really tough football player and I love the way he played. I loved what he did. He was a team guy. I was disappointed when we lost him, and I’m not surprised that he’s having success.”

Lynch-Adams will be the latest challenge for Rutgers’ run defense, which has been up and down this season. He splits carries with Nate Carter, who’s rushed for 452 yards and four touchdowns this season.

The Scarlet Knights are hoping to pick up a seventh regular-season victory, something they haven’t done since 2014.

Limiting Lynch-Adams will be a key to making that happen.

“He’s someone that we have to stop now for sure,” Schiano said.