How often has this been said in Starkville over the last decade: Mississippi State has substantial depth at running back heading into the season.

For years, the Bulldogs have relied on single ballcarriers to shoulder the heavy-lifting offensively — Jerious Norwood, Anthony Dixon, Vic Ballard, LaDarius Perkins and even Josh Robinson to an extent.

But now, equipped with an arsenal that could possibly go four tailbacks deep, Mississippi State appears to have enough talent to divvy the load leading to sizable numbers for Ashton Shumpert, Dontavian Lee and others.

We haven’t even mentioned Prescott, one of the SEC’s Heisman favorites. He’s developed into a deadly passer, but it’s his expertise on the move that sets him apart from several other dual-threats in college football.

Arkansas, Georgia, LSU and Alabama have received most, if not all, of the preseason love in the running game, but could Mississippi State surpass last year’s record-setting total of 3,030 yards rushing in 2015?

It’s possible if a rebuilt offensive line holds its own in the West.

The Bulldogs shouldn’t worry with life after Robinson, the 5-foot-8, 220-pound bowling ball who rushed for 1,203 yards as a junior. The depth is there to absorb his departure and perhaps become a more balanced offense as a result.

Coach Dan Mullen mentioned during SEC Network’s spring game broadcast that for the first time during his tenure, he feels the Bulldogs have multiple guys who can run between the tackles and get those, what he called ‘tough yards’ in the SEC.

Lee’s a redshirt freshman bulldozer who made quite an impression on Mississippi State’s coaching staff during the spring, wearing down the defense on the edge with strength and power. Shumpert seems to run with the most confidence of any player at his position, a violent ballcarrier who can make the necessary cuts to avoid a linebacker in the hole or plow through an incoming safety.

Aeris Williams and Brandon Holloway are speedy, all-purpose threats who will likely see an increase in screen-game touches this season with more snaps.

Watching Lee and Shumpert go to work with success in the spring game was an excellent sign for an offense some projected would take a step back without Robinson and wideout Jameon Lewis.

Mullen’s offense has produced a 1,000-yard rusher four of the last five seasons, but this year’s group could have three, maybe even four, in the 800-yard range if Mississippi State finds a way to involve each of its potential playmakers.

This group looks to be even more talented than the program’s 1976 and 2010 collection of running backs who posted impressive 2,961 and 2,806-yard campaigns. Similar to this year’s offense, each of those teams had a productive running quarterback (Bruce Threadgill and Chris Relf) and two capable first-team ballcarriers (1976: Dennis Johnson and Walker Packer; 2010: Ballard and Perkins).

The Bulldogs’ bevy of running backs is an ideal dilemma for Mullen heading into fall practice. Most coaches would love to spend their brief summer break knowing there’s plenty of interchangeable pieces behind the league’s best returning quarterback.