Jace is the most recent of the “best of best” RBs. Committed to Michigan State, Jace has an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of many other great Spartan RBs. I feel that Jace has a lot of similarities to Kenneth Walker, in fact.

Jace is a 3-down back who does an incredible job of bouncing off tackles and churning forward. He doesn’t waste much time dancing in the open field, and overall has much better balance and vision than most prospects. Kenneth Walker had impeccable balance, amazing vision, and never wasted any movement. Jace could be a very similar player.

The MSU signee still had a good game despite the loss in the semifinals. Byron Center did all they could to stop him, but you still saw glimpses of the high D1 prospect he is. Even in confined spaces and small gaps he was able to put moves on defenders and get by them for extra yardage. His change of direction and change of pace was really extraordinary and his balance allowed him to make defenders miss with ease. I am looking forward to what Jace can accomplish in East Lansing!

I saw exactly why Alabama and East Lansing are gunning for this kid! He’s a special talent that you just don’t see often. The perfect mix of speed, vision, power and flat out acceleration makes him a true 3 down back.

I’ll get an up close and personal look at the RB from East Lansing this week, as East Lansing vs. Byron Center is my game of the week. The current Michigan State commit has been offered and visited Alabama recently, who is making a huge push for him, and it’s easy to see why these teams are battling for his talents. Jace is a natural runner with good vision and great explosiveness through the hole. He has no issue making a guy miss and getting up field in a hurry. He’ll have a tough defense locking in on him from Byron Center, but I think he is more than ready to show everyone what a Power 4 running back does when the lights are bright.

East Lansing comes into this weekend as huge favorites against Saginaw Heritage.

A gigantic reason behind that is Jace Clarizio Jace Clarizio 6'0" | 190 lbs | RB East Lansing | 2025 State MI . Listen, he’s a popular player. Simply, Jace is one of those elite 3-down running backs with excellent power and athleticism- most great RBs only have one of those.

When his offensive line does their job, Jace is able to hit his hole and, at the very least, gain great yardage. At this best, Jace is able to hit the second level, immediately shed a tackle, and get off to the races- something he seems to do at least once per game.

Even when the O-Line misses some blocks, Jace is sometimes able to navigate through defenders and still turn a broken play into a positive one.

Elite RB. The cornerstone of an East Lansing team that’ll probably end up in the state semifinals.

Man, oh, man. Jace is a flawless example of someone with a ton of talent who has worked tirelessly to reach his high school ceiling. Last season, Jace proved that he was deserving of B1G 10 offers.
Jace’s highlight tape is chalk-filled with phenomenal between-the-tackles running. Take the highlight at 1:00 as an example. Jace receives the handoff, then immediately explodes up the middle, quickly jukes right, makes a defender miss while juking left, then again exploding up field for a touchdown. This kind of explosiveness and athleticism is something that I’ve only seen from a handful of Running Back prospects. Jace lists his 40-yard dash time at 4.4, and I believe it. In addition, I’d imagine his pro shuttle and 3-cone times to be similarly phenomenal.
At Michigan State, I expect Jace to be a balanced runner. Under Mel Tucker, I would have Imagined Jace has a 3-down back similar to Kenneth Walker. In all honesty, I’m unfamiliar with Jonathan Smith’s scheme, but I’d still expect Jace to be a 3-down between-the-tackles running back.

#41 –> #11

One of the highest-risers in this update is East Lansing Running Back Jace Clarizio Jace Clarizio 6'0" | 190 lbs | RB East Lansing | 2025 State MI . Since the last update, I’ve been able to re-watch his tape plus watch as B1G 10 teams offered scholarships. On the field, Jace is an incredibly well-rounded running back. First off, Jace has the elite top speed and open-field twitchiness needed to earn Division 1 offers. Jace holds something that truly separates him between those MAC prospects and a good B1G 10 prospect; power. Jace is an extremely strong football player with high-tier contact balance, stamina, and the ability to run through people. Paired with his athleticism, Jace is one of the top Running Backs in the midwest. I think Michigan State is an amazing fit for Jace, and I think he’ll find a lot of success there.

Just over a week ago, Jace committed to Michigan State. Before that, he had one of the best couple months I’ve ever seen, earning offers from Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Rutgers, USC, and more. This is a case where his 2023 performance, in addition to some testing numbers, propelled him to being a prime B1G 10 prospect. Jace reports a 4.4 40-time, and I believe it.

The very first thing that’ll stand out when you watch his film is speed. If you watch it through, you’ll also notice Jace’s sensational open-field ability. Most highlights show him accelerating downfield without having to evade defenders, but when he has someone in front of him, Jace can skillfully juke or truck the defender. I could go on and on, but just know that Jace’s recruitment exploded at the beginning of 2024, and he’s on his way to being a cornerstone of the Michigan State offense.