STARKVILLE – Mississippi State has a four-man quarterback race that appears headed into the summer, if not a few games into the 2016 season.

But there is another race – this one a little farther behind center – not getting the same amount of scrutiny. Six players are vying for time at running back.

“We have some guys that we’re going to be able to rotate,” Bulldogs coach Dan Mullen said after Saturday’s Maroon and White spring game. “I think everybody is like, ‘Well who’s the go-to feature back?’ I don’t know if we have that. They all bring something different to the table.”

So maybe the conversation about who will emerge alongside senior Brandon Holloway is overblown.

What isn’t overblown is the need for running backs to find the end zone. Holloway was the leading rusher — well, rusher who was a running back (92 carries for 413 yards). But Holloway didn’t run for a touchdown. That was masked because quarterback Dak Prescott scored 10 times as he ran for 588 yards to lead the team.

“My goal is never really just to score,” Holloway said, “but to go out there and make plays and prove my versatility on the team.”

Holloway is aware the plays he will be able to make may be determined by which of the four quarterbacks – Damian Williams, Elijah Staley, Nick Fitzgerald or Nock Tiano – the Bulldogs choose to run the offense.

Both competitions could provide blessings or curses, ending less about who wins the battles and more about a rotation at the position.

There were already three backs top of mind coming into the season to aid Holloway. After Saturday, add two more – freshmen Nick Gibson and Alec Murphy. The two combined for 124 yards on 22 carries. Gibson had 79 on 14 carries with a touchdown. Both were impressive in the process.

Sophomore Aeris Williams had three rushing scores, the highest among the running backs last season. He’s added some weight and maintained his speed. Williams (6-foot-1, 205) rushed for three touchdowns last season but had only 40 carries for 206 yards. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry.

“Aeris can catch. He has speed and he can run people over,” Holloway said. “Same thing with Shump. We’ve got D. Lee and the young guys.”

Ashton Shumpert is a senior who accounted for 228 yards in ’15. They are bruising yards for a 6-foot-2, 218-pounder who is as valuable as a blocking back as he is with the football.

Dontavian Lee, a sophomore, had the fewest carries (22) last season but the most yards-per-carry (6.2).

Lee is listed at 6-foot-1, 227 pounds; Gibson 5-foot-11, 195; and Murphy 6-foot, 225. All five teammates are much larger than the 5-foot-8, 165-pound, dangerously shifty Holloway.

“Having so much depth at running back is going to work well for us,” Holloway said. “I think it works well us mixed together. I like being the one that’s a little bit the oddball, being the smallest one and being fast. I think it works well having people pound them and then I can come in and try to be a switch-up.”

Instead of winning a job, it may just be a win for the Bulldogs and come down to who plays in what situation.

After getting the Boston Marathon out of the way, Mullen can now turn his attention to watching runners in another race that may not include winners or losers.

“It’s going to give us some depth and the ability to rotate,” Mullen said.