EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State senior running back LJ Scott will redshirt this season, allowing him to return to the team for the 2019 season. Coach Mark Dantonio announced the decision to redshirt Scott after Saturday’s 26-6 loss to Ohio State.
“I think he’s been in and out and couldn’t finish the Purdue game, so it’s one of those things, you have an opportunity for him to come back, get his degree,” Dantonio said. “He wants to do that, get himself right to play his final season at Michigan State. That’s the decision we made with three games left.”
Scott has played in four games this season, which is the maximum number the NCAA allows a student athlete to participate in while still using a redshirt for the season. Scott played as a true freshman for the Spartans in 2015, running for 699 yards and 11 touchdowns.
He followed that up with 994 yards and six touchdowns and 898 yards and eight scores in his second and third seasons, respectively, but has dealt with injuries in 2018.
Due to an ankle injury, Scott hasn’t been able to gain full strength and has carried the ball only 55 times for 180 yards with no touchdowns this season. Because he had already participated in four games, he couldn’t face Ohio State on Saturday and still preserve his redshirt.
“We put it on him, ‘Hey, this is it. If you play in this game and you get hurt, this is it,'” Dantonio said. “After sitting down and thinking about it, he and his family made the decision to redshirt, which I support.”