The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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[ R U N N I N G B A C K S ] THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 57 approach, but it's clear the coaches have plans to get the ball in Edwards' hands. He ran for 991 yards last year and caught 20 passes for 265 more. "To me, he's just a unicorn athlete. We'll play him at running back and receiver like we did last year," Moore said. "He's got a skill set that's very, very special, and he does it so naturally that you've just got to figure out ways to get him the ball in different situa- tions. We'll continue to do that." Edwards is elite in every way, Moore added. "We're just going to try to figure out ways to put stress on defenses in dif- ferent ways but excited about what he can do." Building The Stable Several backs, meanwhile, are vying for that No. 3 spot behind the dynamic duo. Sophomore CJ Stokes showed some flashes last year, carrying 55 times for 273 yards and 1 touchdown. He missed the spring game with an unspecified injury, but that allowed others to shine. Senior Kalel Mull- ings, junior Tavierre Dunlap, and true freshman early enrollees Benjamin Hall and Cole Cabana are all in the mix fighting for No. 3. Mullings, a former linebacker, be- came the de facto short-yardage back when Corum went down last year, car- rying 14 times for 31 yards and 3 TDs. The others, though, will push him. "I think we're really deep," said Hart, FootballScoop.com's 2022 running backs coach of the year. "The guys are going to compete, and we definitely feel really good about the running back PRESEASON ANALYSIS STARTER HHHHH Senior Blake Corum is one of the nation's best backs, entering the season as a favorite for the Doak Walker Award (nation's top run- ning back). It's not unreasonable to suggest he could have run for 2,000 yards last year had he stayed healthy (he ran for 1,463 in 10.5 games). He was a self-reported 222 pounds of muscle coming out of spring and expected to be back to 100 percent by June, recovering from last fall's knee injury. He's elite. DEPTH HHHH½ Running backs coach Mike Hart said after spring he'd feel confident going into the season with his stable of backs, and that was with Corum and Donovan Edwards sidelined while recovering from injuries. Edwards is simply the best No. 2 back in the country. True fresh- man Benjamin Hall looked the part in the spring game, and we got a glimpse last year of what sophomore CJ Stokes could do in limited action. He's still a work in progress, but he showed flashes. Senior Kalel Mullings is also more than capable. OVERALL HHHHH An embarrassment of riches here, especially at the top. Corum and Edwards could start at most programs in the country, and either could be a legit Heisman Trophy candidate. Michigan coaches will have to figure out how to split the touches here — we hope to see the two on the field together more often, perhaps with Edwards playing some receiver in the slot — but as offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore says, "These are rich people problems." ❱ Blake Corum's late-season knee injury prevented him from putting up the requisite numbers for Heisman Trophy consideration, but Pro Football Focus believes he was the best player in college football last year. Corum won PFF's Player of the Year honor after recording a 95.9 overall grade on the season, which was the fourth-highest grade it has ever given out to a Power Five player. Only Florida tight end Kyle Pitts (2020), Ohio State edge Chase Young (2019) and Alabama defensive lineman Quinnen Williams (2018) have graded out higher since 2014, all with 96.0 marks. ❱ With U-M's loaded backfield tandem of Corum and Donovan Edwards, there has been off- season buzz that both could take the field at the same time in certain packages. That would likely mean utilizing Edwards as more of a slot receiver or change-of-pace back. Should Michigan choose to go that direction, Edwards could position himself to break U-M's single- season reception mark by a running back, set by Chris Perry in 2003 recording 44 catches. Edwards comes into the season with 38 career grabs for 465 yards and 3 touchdowns. ❱ Michigan surpassed 200 yards rushing in nine of its 14 games last season: Colorado State (234), Hawaii (268), Maryland (243), Penn State (418), Michigan State (276), Rutgers (282), Nebraska (264), Ohio State (252) and Purdue (225). The Wolverines had only 253 negative yards, 139 of which came on 17 opponent sacks. [ F Y I ] QUICK FACTS Position Coach: Mike Hart (Third year coaching RBs at U-M) Returning Starters: Blake Corum (13 career starts), Donovan Edwards (3) Departing Starters: N/A Projected New Starter: N/A Top Reserves: CJ Stokes, Kalel Mullings Wait Until 2024: Tavierre Dunlap Newcomers: Cole Cabana, Benjamin Hall Moved In: N/A Moved Out: Isaiah Gash (knee surgery in June) Rookie Impact: Cabana Most Improved Player: Edwards Best Pro Prospect: Corum SCHOLARSHIP ROSTER No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. 24 Cole Cabana RB 6-0 180 Fr. 2 Blake Corum RB 5-8 210 Sr. 22 Tavierre Dunlap RB 6-0 217 Jr. 7 Donovan Edwards RB 6-1 204 Jr. 28 Benjamin Hall RB 5-11 235 Fr. 20 Kalel Mullings RB/LB 6-2 232 Sr. 23 CJ Stokes RB 5-10 196 So. At Ohio State, Edwards ripped off 75- and 85-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter as part of a 216-yard day in a 45-23 Michi- gan win. He added 185 in a Big Ten title win over Purdue, one of the best two-game stretches for a U-M back in recent memory. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL