The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 61 last year losing spring to injury, this year to COVID-19 cancellation. He doesn't even think about missing the fall. "Our mindset really hasn't changed," he said. "We're not thinking about, 'Oh, there may not be a season.' We're going to get ready as if we are, and we're pretty certain there will be one. "Whether there are fans or not, the mind- set is to go out there and win every time. We're not really worried about whether any- one is going to be there or not. We're just going to do our best and have the best season we can." The best season, in every Wolverine's mind, includes a victory in the final regular- season game of 2020. When Charbonnet talked about his dreams for this season, he brought that subject up unprompted. "Try to win more games — beat Ohio State," he said. "That's definitely the number one thing on our minds, to beat those guys. We haven't beaten them in a while. That's one thing we definitely want to do this year." Seeing that one get away last year ranked among the obvious low points of the season, Charbonnet acknowledged. "Any rivalry game that you lose, it's al- ways going to be a big disappointment," he said. "It's how you take it, and what you do about it. We're going to use that as fuel for this offseason, to become great. "We're going to think about every single game the same, but especially that one. We'll go in with some energy, for sure." In preparation, Charbonnet finds himself listening to both Harbaughs — the steely motivation of the elder and the insistent par- ticulars of the younger. "This is what we're trying to do," Jay Harbaugh said. "We want to make this guy miss, want to get more yardage out of this play, have more big plays. Here are steps you can take from a training standpoint to do it. "Here's a cutup of this NFL player you should watch. Here's an example of this run. Here's some type of quiz or assessment so you're understanding the way the play is being blocked." Charbonnet takes it all to heart, and could find himself at the heart of an offense mak- ing big breakthroughs. "I'm really excited for what this offense has in front of it, how high the bar can be set and where we can go with it," Charbonnet said. "I just believe it's going to be more ex- plosive. The quarterbacks are all high-energy guys, all-in players. "They're going to compete for the spot, just like every other position is. Nothing is guaranteed. Everyone pushing each other can make this offense very explosive, in a competitive and friendly environment." ❑ Charbonnet was named a third-team All-Big Ten pick by the media in 2019, while the coaches and Pro Football Focus dubbed him an honorable mention. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Michigan will be hard pressed to ever see a true freshman running back outgain Mike Hart's effort in 2004. The diminutive, MSU-bedeviling tailback racked up 1,455 yards as a frosh, one of the best debuts in college football history. Zach Charbonnet checked in at just under half that total, with 726. But Charbonnet's 11 touch- downs proved the best among Michigan's most productive freshman tailbacks, while his rushing tally finished right there with the best of the rest. Here's the Savvy Seven when it comes to Michi- gan rookies at the highly scrutinized spot: Player Year Yards 1. Mike Hart 2004 1,455 2. Ricky Powers 1990 748 3. Zach Charbonnet 2019 726 4. Chris Evans 2016 614 5. Jamie Morris 1984 573 6. Anthony Thomas 1997 549 7. Tyrone Wheatley 1991 548 It's worth noting that Michigan's 2020 backfield will feature two of the top four rookie rushing phenoms. Fifth-year senior Chris Evans rejoins the team, four years after his freshman debut in 2016 produced 614 rushing yards. They're the second set of Michigan players among the top seven to have performed on the same squad. Powers and Wheatley played to- gether on U-M's Big Ten championship team of 1991. Hart and Wheatley each managed nine rushing touchdowns as freshmen, sharing the record until Charbonnet raised the bar in 2019. With a big sophomore season, Charbonnet could approach Hart's rushing total of his first two seasons, 2,117 yards. Hart experienced hamstring issues as a sopho- more, limiting him to 662 yards and four touch- downs in his second season in Ann Arbor. Char- bonnet would have to nearly double his rookie output to get to the same two-year total, needing 1,391 yards to reach it. That's not likely in a well-stocked backfield that could see a deep rotation. Either way, Charbonnet joined an exclusive club last year, and figures to continue on an upward path. — John Borton Charbonnet Among Michigan's Best-Ever Rookie Running Backs