Michigan State running back Jaren Mangham announced that he would be returning for another graduate season on Tuesday via X (formerly Twitter).

The former 3-star recruit out of Detroit spent his first two seasons with Mel Tucker at Colorado in 2019 and 2020 before he transferred to South Florida in 2021 and spent two years in Tampa. He then opted to attempt to rejoin Tucker in East Lansing for the 2023 season, but the head coach of course had to step down earlier this season.

Mangham’s career is marked by breakout campaigns followed by letdowns. He went for 441 rushing yards in ’19 as a true freshman but followed that up with just 35 yards the next year. Then, he appeared to find a suitable home with the Bulls, rushing for 671 yards and 15 TDs in ’21, but injuries derailed his ’22 campaign.

Mangham appeared in six games for the Spartans this past season and ran for 81 yards on 30 carries. He missed time early in the season due to injuries.

With new head coach Jonathan Smith arriving from Corvallis, it would make sense to believe that most starting roles are going to be up for grabs in East Lansing. Thus, Mangham has the opportunity to secure the starting RB job over the likes of incumbent starter Nathan Carter and Jalen Berger during spring and fall camp.