The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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"You have some really good running backs," Jackson said. "They will all run through you. Block you. They all can catch. They have pretty good smarts. You're going to see the stuff that you used to see out of Michigan running backs. You're going to see some guys that on third-and-one will get it. Guys that have a crease that will go get in it. "We've recruited really well, and the guys I've had for two or three years have really improved because they know competition is there every day. No one is skipping with a minor injury. They're playing through pain. They know it's a tight race. Nobody wants to get out. "I have one back in there and I say, 'I need a new back,' and five guys run to get the rep in. I love the competition because I see guys making each other better." In his first year in Ann Arbor, Jackson coached junior Ricky Powers, sophomores Tyrone Wheatley and Jesse Johnson, and freshman Ed Davis. Combined, the four ball carriers rushed for 2,844 yards — 88.4 percent of the 3,217 yards Michigan accumulated en route to an undefeated 9-0-3 record and a Big Ten title. A season later, Tshimanga Biakabutuka joined the mix, providing the Wolverines a plethora of capable backs that demanded rotation. Jackson can see a strategy unfolding this fall in which U-M has a No. 1 back, and a No. 2, but week after week utilizes three, four or five ball carriers because of varying skills and because they deserve it. "You're going to see a lot more than one guy play because we have a lot of guys, and a lot of good football players," he said. Offensive coordinator Al Borges was once committed to a primary rusher — when he first arrived from San Diego State in 2011 he often mentioned the fact that Ronnie Hillman received the bulk of the Aztecs' carries (262 of 439 or 60.0 percent in 2010) — but this past spring, he cited the success Alabama and Georgia had in 2012 dividing touches almost evenly between two tailbacks, showing a willingness to adapt. Though more than two could demand opportunities, it is likely the Maize and Blue will trim their list to a pair of running backs they can depend on, and the fight for those two coveted jobs is intense. "The stakes are high," Rawls said. "When you put on that Block M, you want to be the guy. You're going to bleed, sweat, cry — you're just going to keep fighting for that position, and that's where we are in camp. Pushing each other, keeping each other's spirits high. With competition, it brings the greatness out of you." The most experienced rusher on the team, by far — his 325 career carries and 1,642 yards are more than four times as many as Rawls' totals (70 carries and 321 yards) — Toussaint has returned from a gruesome November leg injury against Iowa with a renewed confidence and determination. He rehabbed to be 100 percent by the start of camp, and has competed with a desire to finish his career triumphantly. "Fitz has got fire in his eyes,"