The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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RB Redshirt freshman Drake Johnson (shown taking a handoff from Devin Gardner in the spring game) rushed for 2,805 yards in his senior season at Ann Arbor Pioneer High School. photo by lon horwedel preseason analysis: Running backs Starter ✪✪✪ On the surface, Michigan is better off than most programs. The Wolverines return a tailback with 21 career starts who has rushed for 1,642 yards and 15 touchdowns, including a 1,000-yard campaign in 2011. However, that running back slumped to only 514 yards in 2012 and is coming off a major leg injury that could slow his return, preventing him from being the type of 20-carry, 100-yard back U-M needs him to be. Fitzgerald Toussaint, however, is still a better option than the unproven Justice Hayes and Drake Johnson. Thomas Rawls started once last year and had 57 carries for the season, but he failed to show himself capable of being a No. 1. Depth ✪✪✪✪ While the Maize and Blue will enter preseason with uncertainty at the starting position, they have no shortage of challengers competing for playing time. Michigan can go five-deep and that is before two talented freshmen even step foot on campus. Out of Hayes, Johnson, Rawls and Dennis Norfleet, not one appears ready to be the every-down answer yet, but they can all fill roles and could step in if needed. With the arrival of rookies Derrick Green and De'Veon Smith, especially, along with Wyatt Shallman, U-M adds even more talent to the running back room and can withstand any calamity that might befall the Wolverines this season. X-Factor Running backs coach Fred Jackson would love to take the best attributes of Johnson, Hayes, Rawls and Norfleet and put them together, forming the ultimate ball carrier. In Toussaint, though, Michigan has a tailback that can do it all — move the chains, go the distance, block and catch out of the backfield. That is if he's 100 percent physically and mentally, and can be the runner he was for the Big Ten campaign in 2011. If not, U-M will have to hope Green or Smith is ready immediately, or that one of the veterans emerges. Overall ✪✪✪ Despite Toussaint's injury situation and the lack of a proven commodity besides him, expectations for the running backs are extremely high. In fact, the potential of this group may exceed any other offensively and defensively. Toussaint could be a 1,500-yard back, and Green could add a physical dimension that rivals the 1-2 punch Michigan enjoyed in 1997 with senior Chris Howard (938 yards) and freshman Anthony Thomas (549 yards). Note: Star rankings are made on a 1-5 scale. 90 ■ The Wolverine 2013 Football Preview learn from those games and move on. He has the ability to do a lot of things. He's been through some of those battles." A year ago, Hayes had fashioned himself as a potential third-down back — the role sophomore Dennis Norfleet could occupy now — but he wanted to be much more than that. The coaches challenged him to add mass and muscle, and he has, putting on seven pounds to stand in at 5-10, 190. "He's improved enough to where we could play him every down," Jackson said. "A year ago, he couldn't do that, and we thought about using him in situations, but that didn't come to be. I'm proud of him because he took our criticisms seriously and worked on every thing we told him he had to do. "He's a kid that can hit a home run. He should be an excellent route-runner. He can pass protect. He got more physical. He needs to have a great fall camp, but he's on that track." A local kid from Ann Arbor Pioneer High School, Johnson rushed for 2,805 yards and 37 touchdowns in his senior year, though Jackson had his eye on him far earlier in his career, believing he could be the bigger back U-M had long employed during the 1990s and 2000s. At 6-1, 212 pounds, Johnson has the size, and he's deceptively fast. "He's a hard guy to bring down," Jackson said. "I don't know any back that has his knee action. It's reminiscent of [former San Francisco 49ers great] Roger Craig. He's just a very physical, very tough kid. He would throw his body into the wall. He's not afraid of anyone, and he can scoot." Norfleet excelled on special teams in 2012, and had two offensive touches, rushing for 13 yards. The 5-7, 168-pounder out of Detroit will continue to return kicks and punts, and could factor in offensively here and there. "There are things he can do in this offense, but he's not an everydown back obviously," Jackson said. "He should do a great job on returns because he has a year of experience. He's quick. He's very tough and knows how to protect the ball; he doesn't fumble."