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Michigan expects 3-man rotation at running back to be a major strength
By Nick Schultz
Published:
One of Michigan’s biggest strengths heading into this season is its running-back group.
Coach Jim Harbaugh has three backs leading the charge for his Wolverines this season: senior Hassan Haskins, sophomore Blake Corum and freshman Donovan Edwards.
Although last year’s second-leading rusher, Zach Charbonnet, transferred to UCLA, it sounds like Harbaugh is pleased with top three running backs on the 2021 roster.
“As we sit here today, those three are up there high where it would be a three-back type of rotation,” Harbaugh said at B1G media days, “leaning on Hassan and Blake the most and then Donovan.”
Last year, the Wolverines ranked 11th out of the 14th teams in the B1G with 131.5 rushing yards per game. This season, they’ve added a new weapon to the arsenal who could help improve the output.
Let’s take a closer look.
Hassan Haskins, senior
Last season’s leading rusher with 375 yards, Haskins is in good position to be the starter. His 62.5 yards per game ranked 12th in the B1G and his 6.1 yards per carry put him 4th in the conference.
“He is arguably our best special teams player, most productive, can play kickoff, kickoff return, punt, punt return,” Harbaugh said. “Whatever the play is blocked for, he’s getting at least another yard or two. If it’s blocked for zero, he’s probably getting one yard. If it’s blocked for two, he’s getting four. … He’s a real football player.”
To say 2020 was a rough one for Michigan would be an understatement. The Wolverines went 2-4, their first losing season under Harbaugh. Haskins sounds like he and the team are ready to move on.
“This season is definitely going to be different,” Haskins said. “I’m highly confident that we’re going to do our job on the field and win games and make plays. That definitely wasn’t us last year at all.”
Blake Corum, sophomore
While Haskins will likely start, Corum can also make an impact — so much so that Harbaugh has dubbed him and Haskins running backs “one and one” at B1G media days.
Corum rushed for 77 yards as a freshman in 2020 and has built a close relationship with running backs coach Mike Hart, Michigan’s all-time leading rusher. That tutelage has been instrumental in getting Corum ready for his sophomore campaign.
“At the end of the day, I’m just trying to be like him,” Corum said. “I’m just trying to be like Coach Hart and be a great. Take what he did and apply it to my own game.”
Donovan Edwards, freshman
Probably the most interesting player in Michigan’s running back room is Edwards, a highly touted true freshman who’s been a hot topic of conversation as the season approaches.
Edwards rushed for more than 1,000 yards during his junior and senior years of high school and was a 5-star recruit out of West Bloomfield High School in Michigan. He’s been named to FOX analyst RJ Young’s “Top 10 Impact Freshmen” and has opened eyes through practice — so much so that Harbaugh said he’ll be seeing the field right away in Week 1.
“At running back, Donovan is gonna be really good,” Harbaugh said. “There’s such a competitive part about him. … He won a championship — he won one at West Bloomfield. He’s gonna be in the mix. You’ll be seeing Donovan Edwards game one.”
Harbaugh isn’t the only one praising Edwards. Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis is also on the Edwards hype train, pointing specifically to how high he was ranked during the recruiting process.
“He wants to be great,” Gattis said. “Obviously he came in with a 5-star bill, and you don’t ever want to rely back on recruiting rankings — but you look out there on the field and say, ‘That is what a 5-star player is supposed to look like.’ ”
It sure sounds like Haskins, Corum and Edwards will all get their share of snaps when Michigan takes the field against Western Michigan on Saturday. After that, we’ll see how they fit together in the scheme.
One thing’s for sure, though. Harbaugh has some fun toys in his chest.
Nick Schultz is a columnist and breaking news writer for Saturday Tradition. A 2020 graduate of Loyola Chicago, he covered the Ramblers' 2018 Final Four run from beginning to end and has worked at NBC Sports Chicago. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickSchultz_7.