The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1534644
18 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MAY 2025 BY JOHN BORTON J ustice Haynes felt the impact of an odd dynamic when sitting down with hometown friends to watch the ReliaQuest Bowl last Dec. 31. He witnessed his past bat- tling his future, with mixed feelings. Michigan's newest running back — a 5-foot-11, 205-pound junior — could have been playing for Alabama's Crim- son Tide that day. He'd racked up 448 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns on 79 carries in the three months prior, adding 17 receptions for 99 more yards while donning Alabama's plain yet distinc- tive headgear. He knew well many of the Crimson-clad warriors, and wished them well. Yet Haynes wasn't one of them any- more. He had stopped flowing with the Tide 18 days earlier, when he entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, regarded as the No. 2 player overall in the portal, and the No. 1 running back. Soon after, he traded crimson for maize and blue, sprouting wings for his next assignment, making it a very conflicting New Year's Eve day. "It was very weird," Haynes admitted recently. "It was a bittersweet moment, watching that game. I was part of that JUSTICE FOR ALL Skilled Back Justice Haynes Embraces New Teammates And Big Role Haynes arrived at U-M from Alabama in January, joining a talented group in the running back room and fitting right into the Michigan team culture. PHOTO BY CLAYTON SAYFIE