The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1531518
FEBRUARY 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 25 BY CHRIS BALAS RETURNING STARTERS Sophomore Jordan Marshall It's a stretch to call him a "starter" since he only started one game — the ReliaQuest Bowl versus Alabama — but his performance there indicates he might be the next Michigan "great" at the position. Marshall showed promise during the season as a kick returner, but his 23-carry, 100-yard game versus the Crimson Tide really put him on the map. He has great instincts, gets yards after contact and makes people miss. OTHER RETURNEES Junior Benjamin Hall The 5-11, 235-pounder with legs like tree trunks has shown flashes, including a nice spring game performance as a true freshman, but he still has a lot to prove. He carried 29 times for 72 yards this year, including 16 rushes for only 28 against Alabama. Can he settle into that No. 2 role? Sophomore Micah Ka'apana A 5-11, 190-pound "explosive" back in the coaches' words, Ka'apana will have an opportunity to move up the depth chart in his second season. They love his potential. NEWCOMERS Junior Justice Haynes The Alabama transfer and former No. 2 prep running back nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking averaged 6.7 yards on 25 carries in 2023 and 5.7 this year on 79 runs, scoring 7 touchdowns. He also caught 17 passes for 99 yards. He is expected to compete with Marshall for the starting job, but there's little doubt he'll be part of the rotation. Freshman Jasper Parker The 6-1, 200-pounder was the No. 26 running back nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average of the four major recruiting services. He notched 1,612 all-purpose yards with 22 touchdowns, including 1,464 rushing yards, as a senior at Marrero (La.) Archbishop Shaw. Freshman Donovan Johnson Johnson, a 6-0, 210-pounder from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy, was the No. 39 running back nationally in his class, per the On3 Industry Ranking. He carried 48 times for 257 yards with 3 touchdowns in seven games this fall after returning slowly from a knee in- jury that cost him his junior season. RUNNING BACKS ANALYSIS Michigan running backs are usually only as good as the guys blocking for them, but there are times they have to get some of the tough yards on their own. Grad Kalel Mullings was elite at that this year, with some of his biggest runs (fourth quarter versus USC deep into Trojans territory on third down, leading to his game- winning touchdown, and a third-and-6 run to the Ohio State 15 in The Game) leading directly to victories. On the other hand, Donovan Edwards — not exactly a tackle-breaker or a guy who could make a safety miss — struggled a bit more without the holes. Marshall appears to have both the strength and that "Blake Corum-type wiggle" that make him a potentially outstanding back. He's been compared to Corum, in fact, and he showed some of those characteristics in the 19-13 victory over Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl. But you need more than one running back in the Big Ten, and that's where Haynes comes in. While Benjamin Hall has shown flashes, there's not enough there to indicate he can be that chain-mover. He's got good feet, but he's not especially fast. He'll be given every shot this spring to move up the depth chart, and he'll need to take advantage to keep from being relegated to third on the depth chart. As for Ka'apana — we've heard good things, and he's just getting started. He and Johnson — an early enrollee — will get a chance to show what they can do this spring, while Parker arrives in the summer. Running backs coach Tony Alford has a long history of developing his players and getting the most out of them. We're confident this room will be strong in 2025 and provide some of the "smash" head coach Sherrone Moore is looking for from the ground game. — Chris Balas PHOTO COURTESY RELIAQUEST BOWL/STEVE JACOBSON