STATESBORO - Effrem Reed, who helped coach 2021 Heisman Trophy candidate Kenneth Walker III, has been named the running backs coach of the Georgia Southern football program, as announced Tuesday by head coach Clay Helton. Reed comes to Statesboro after spending the 2020 and 2021 seasons as an offensive analyst at Michigan State, helping the Spartans to a 10-win season and a top-10 final College Football Playoff ranking this season.

"We are very excited to welcome Effrem Reed to Statesboro," Helton said. "Effrem is one of the brightest young coaches in the profession today. Having served under Mel Tucker at Michigan State, Effrem knows what it takes to build an elite college football program. Effrem was instrumental in the development of Kenneth Walker III, helping the running back through a very successful 2021 Heisman campaign. He has strong recruiting ties to the southeast having played and coached at Louisiana and we look forward to him leading a very talented running back group here at Georgia Southern."

"I'm super excited to get to work," Reed exclaimed. "Georgia Southern has a football tradition that is known and respected around college football. I am looking forward to being a part of Coach Helton's plan to recruit great players and put a product on the field that our fans can be proud of. Let's get to work Eagle Nation!"

In 2021, he played a lead role in the development of Walker III, who was also named the Big Ten's Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year and a unanimous first-team all-conference selection. He will also assuredly gain multiple All-America honors as well.

This season, Walker III ranks second in the nation and first among Power Five players at 1,636 rushing yards and 136.3 yards per game, and his 18 rushing touchdowns are tied for eighth in the Football Bowl Subdivision. He has led the nation in rushing for all but four weeks this fall and also leads the FBS in rushing yards after contact (1,168), carries of 20-or-more yards (21) and missed forced tackles (89). Walker III is also a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, the Maxwell Award (nation's top player) and the Doak Walker Award (nation's top running back).

Reed spent two seasons (2018-19) at his alma mater, Louisiana. He was a defensive graduate assistant for the Ragin' Cajuns in 2019 and the director of player engagement for the program in 2018.

Reed was a four-year letterwinner as a running back for Louisiana from 2012-15. As a redshirt freshman in 2012, Reed recorded career highs in rushing yards (414), carries (86) and rushing touchdowns (5). He played in 44 games throughout his career and compiled nearly 1,000 all-purpose yards to go along with eight TDs.

Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Reed was a first-team all-state honoree at Dutchtown High School after rushing for 1,926 yards and 32 touchdowns as a senior in 2010. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology from Louisiana in 2015.