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The Michigan football offense struggled through much of the 2024 season. There's little reason to rehash it.
The running backs — led by Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings, who combined for 313 rushes for 1,537 yards and 16 touchdowns — were solid, but it wasn't exactly a vintage rushing attack.
With Edwards and Mullings headed to the NFL, it's next man up at one of the most key positions in Ann Arbor, where the expectations in the room are already lofty. Entering 2025, the backfield is projected to feature the trio of Alabama transfer Justice Haynes, redshirt sophomore Jordan Marshall and sophomore Benjamin Hall; it's a loaded room for position coach Tony Alford, which has the staff champing at the bit to see them in action.
RELATED: Why Michigan football's 2025 spring game will not be aired live on TV
While the younger players are eager to earn their turn, it seems as though Haynes enters as the clubhouse leader.
“You see him as a guy that’s another leader on the team,” head coach Sherrone Moore told reporters Monday. “The dude only eats one-ingredient foods. That’s why he looks like a statue. He takes care of his body in every way."
Haynes ran 79 times for 448 yards (5.7 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns last season at Alabama. Though he sat out the ReliaQuest Bowl (in which U-M topped Alabama, 19-13, in Tampa, Florida, on the final day of 2024), he did suit up against the Wolverines on the first day of 2024.
That was when the Wolverines topped the Tide in OT in the Rose Bowl to grab a College Football Playoff title game berth. Though he only had four touches, Haynes was productive, picking up 31 yards.
"He’s a leader off the field with how he approaches academics and his social life and everything," Moore said about his initial impressions. "On the field, he has that mentality about him. You can see his experience and him playing in big game before and understanding the game and understanding the moment and understanding how to prepare.
"He brings that to that room and to the offense and to the team. It’s been great to have him around.”
Both backs met with media Wednesday at Schembechler Hall and each exuded confidence about what lies ahead. It figures to be a battle for the lead role — it won't just be given to Haynes.
Each back feels he is up to the task of being the lead back, but they equally marveled at the talent of the other.
"I think he's the whole package," Marshall said of Haynes. "I think he's just like me, three down. He can catch, he can pass block, he can run. And when you have two all-purpose backs that can do everything, that's scary."
Marshall, meanwhile, had to wait his turn last year behind Edwards and Mullings. He flashed his unique traits at times as he forced his way onto the field on kickoffs — he had a 63-yard return against Northwestern — and while he also ran seven times for 17 yards, he was most proud about the fact he cracked the field at Ohio State.
Sure, he got one carry, but that set up his real coming out party the following month at the bowl game.
There, Marshall took on the feature role, running a career-high 23 times for 100 yards en route to earning MVP honors. Seemingly the next man up, Marshall could've wanted the lead role for himself and not welcomed another in the room — particularly someone like Haynes who figures to earn time — but he instead welcomed it.
"I was excited," Marshall said of Haynes coming to Ann Arbor. "After that game, you can get complacent. I'm the guy, this and that. But bringing him in, it makes me wanna boost myself and be a better player.(To) see his work ethic, I wanna emulate that, I wanna be like him, I wanna make sure that I'm doing everything I can.
"To have that guy in there to push me to be a better version of myself, I was really excited that he came here."
Don't forget about Hall, who ran 29 times for 72 yards a season ago and should figure in the mix. He spoke late last fall about his desire to be one of the leaders not just of the unit, but the entire team. The good news is the desire from seemingly all the key players in the room is already there.
Now, it's about U-M getting back to its true identity as a football team under Moore: smash. That element was lacking a season ago and as a result there was a domino effect. The plan this year is to lean on the run game, delivering body blows, and then go in for the knockout in any of a number of ways.
Michigan seemingly has multiple players who are capable of being "the guy," yet all seem willing to share the spotlight and the workload.
"When you have two all-purpose backs that can do everything (we can), that's scary," Marshall said. "We have the opportunity to be one of the best running back, I would say, rooms and groups in the country. So that's what we, every time we step in that meeting room, that's our mindset, is to be the best position group in the country and to lead this team."
Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football RB room reloaded behind Justice Haynes, Jordan Marshall
Continue reading...
The running backs — led by Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings, who combined for 313 rushes for 1,537 yards and 16 touchdowns — were solid, but it wasn't exactly a vintage rushing attack.
With Edwards and Mullings headed to the NFL, it's next man up at one of the most key positions in Ann Arbor, where the expectations in the room are already lofty. Entering 2025, the backfield is projected to feature the trio of Alabama transfer Justice Haynes, redshirt sophomore Jordan Marshall and sophomore Benjamin Hall; it's a loaded room for position coach Tony Alford, which has the staff champing at the bit to see them in action.
RELATED: Why Michigan football's 2025 spring game will not be aired live on TV
While the younger players are eager to earn their turn, it seems as though Haynes enters as the clubhouse leader.
“You see him as a guy that’s another leader on the team,” head coach Sherrone Moore told reporters Monday. “The dude only eats one-ingredient foods. That’s why he looks like a statue. He takes care of his body in every way."
Haynes ran 79 times for 448 yards (5.7 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns last season at Alabama. Though he sat out the ReliaQuest Bowl (in which U-M topped Alabama, 19-13, in Tampa, Florida, on the final day of 2024), he did suit up against the Wolverines on the first day of 2024.
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That was when the Wolverines topped the Tide in OT in the Rose Bowl to grab a College Football Playoff title game berth. Though he only had four touches, Haynes was productive, picking up 31 yards.
"He’s a leader off the field with how he approaches academics and his social life and everything," Moore said about his initial impressions. "On the field, he has that mentality about him. You can see his experience and him playing in big game before and understanding the game and understanding the moment and understanding how to prepare.
"He brings that to that room and to the offense and to the team. It’s been great to have him around.”
You must be registered for see images attach
Both backs met with media Wednesday at Schembechler Hall and each exuded confidence about what lies ahead. It figures to be a battle for the lead role — it won't just be given to Haynes.
Each back feels he is up to the task of being the lead back, but they equally marveled at the talent of the other.
"I think he's the whole package," Marshall said of Haynes. "I think he's just like me, three down. He can catch, he can pass block, he can run. And when you have two all-purpose backs that can do everything, that's scary."
Marshall, meanwhile, had to wait his turn last year behind Edwards and Mullings. He flashed his unique traits at times as he forced his way onto the field on kickoffs — he had a 63-yard return against Northwestern — and while he also ran seven times for 17 yards, he was most proud about the fact he cracked the field at Ohio State.
Sure, he got one carry, but that set up his real coming out party the following month at the bowl game.
There, Marshall took on the feature role, running a career-high 23 times for 100 yards en route to earning MVP honors. Seemingly the next man up, Marshall could've wanted the lead role for himself and not welcomed another in the room — particularly someone like Haynes who figures to earn time — but he instead welcomed it.
"I was excited," Marshall said of Haynes coming to Ann Arbor. "After that game, you can get complacent. I'm the guy, this and that. But bringing him in, it makes me wanna boost myself and be a better player.(To) see his work ethic, I wanna emulate that, I wanna be like him, I wanna make sure that I'm doing everything I can.
"To have that guy in there to push me to be a better version of myself, I was really excited that he came here."
You must be registered for see images attach
Don't forget about Hall, who ran 29 times for 72 yards a season ago and should figure in the mix. He spoke late last fall about his desire to be one of the leaders not just of the unit, but the entire team. The good news is the desire from seemingly all the key players in the room is already there.
Now, it's about U-M getting back to its true identity as a football team under Moore: smash. That element was lacking a season ago and as a result there was a domino effect. The plan this year is to lean on the run game, delivering body blows, and then go in for the knockout in any of a number of ways.
Michigan seemingly has multiple players who are capable of being "the guy," yet all seem willing to share the spotlight and the workload.
"When you have two all-purpose backs that can do everything (we can), that's scary," Marshall said. "We have the opportunity to be one of the best running back, I would say, rooms and groups in the country. So that's what we, every time we step in that meeting room, that's our mindset, is to be the best position group in the country and to lead this team."
Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football RB room reloaded behind Justice Haynes, Jordan Marshall
Continue reading...
