The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAY 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 19 team, so I wanted to see Alabama do well, but I had just committed to Michigan, and I knew I was coming here. I wanted to see us do well. Michigan got the dub, so that's what we like to see." The new stunned the old that day, Michigan prevailing 19-13 by over- whelming the Crimson Tide defensively, especially in a first half played amid a Florida monsoon. U-M's defense forced 3 turnovers in the opening quarter, hold- ing Alabama to minus-2 yards rushing and opening a shocking 16-0 lead against the No. 11-ranked team in the nation. After that, the Wolverines hung on for the win, and Haynes received a warm welcome in the North, despite the time of year. "It was cold, I'll say that," he said, of his first-visit exposure to Ann Ar- bor. "But the love, t h e ge n u i n e n e s s … I could tell the energy, the juice a ro u n d t h e p ro - gram. I knew that this was the spot. Just seeing Coach [Sherrone] Moore, Coach [Chip] Lindsey, and the belief and trust they had in me. I just knew this was the spot for me, and I couldn't pass it up for the world." Going through winter workouts and diving into the spring did nothing to di- minish his excitement over a new op- portunity in a different venue. Midway through the spring sessions, he'd already confirmed in his mind the wisdom of his selection. "Coming to Michigan has been great," Haynes said. "Best decision I ever made. Just the whole running back room, the way they accepted me, the whole team, like a brother. Coach [Tony] Al- ford, Freddy J[ackson], the way they've wrapped their arms around me. They've been father figures for me, and been best friends for me. "T.A., that's my guy right there. I'm so thankful that I met T.A., and I can be coached by the best running backs coach — ever, in my opinion. It's been nothing but the best decision I've ever made." Haynes didn't rule out divine inter- vention in his becoming a Wolverine, either. In fact, he embraced the notion. "I felt like God was leading me here," Haynes said. "The brand of football that they play, what they're all about, Coach Moore, what he's all about and what he pours into this group, everything he does. T.A., and the relationship I have with him. "Everything they do is different, how they go about things in the weight room. How they go about things on the field, off the field. I knew Michigan was dif- ferent. That's what ultimately made me choose Michigan. I just knew it was the right fit." TOUGH TANDEM COMING Haynes knew he wouldn't be The Lone Ranger, when it came to lugging the football for Michigan — or any other top program he might have joined. As it happened, freshman back Jordan Mar- shall burst fully onto the scene in the bowl game, rushing for a hard-earned 100 yards on 23 tries against the Crimson Tide. Now, they'll be teaming up to pro- vide one of the most dynamic backfield combos in the Big Ten. There will be competition, for certain. There will also be a cooperative effort to- ward getting Michigan on track for huge accomplishments in the fall of 2025, in the second year of Moore's head coach- ing tenure. The Wolverines got caught short offensively in a five-loss 2024 but don't intend for that to happen again. They loaded up on talent in a number of areas, and the expectation involves everyone pulling in the same direction. No worries at running back, both Haynes and Marshall assured. "Jordan and I have been hitting it off great," Haynes said. "He's like a little brother to me. He was great welcom- ing me in. Jordan and I are good friends. We talk all the time. But the whole run- ning back room — we all hit it off. I'm just thankful for the way they brought me in, how they've carried themselves, how they've pushed me and I've pushed them, and how we compete each and ev- ery day." Marshall never flinched at Haynes' ar- rival. Just the opposite, he insisted. "I was excited," Marshall explained. "After that game, you can get com- placent, I'm the guy, this and that, but bringing him in, it makes me want to boost myself and be a better player. Just to learn from him. He's an older guy, he's experienced, from Alabama, played in the Rose Bowl against Michigan. Just to hear those stories from the guys he's been around and been coached by, and obviously to see his work ethic. I want to emulate that. I want to be like him. I want to make sure that I'm doing everything I can, and just to have that guy there to push me to be a better version of myself, I was really excited that he came." Marshall also expressed excitement about the boost to the offense both can bring. "I think he's the whole package," Mar- shall assessed. "Just like me — a three- down back — he can catch, he can pass block, he can run. When you have two all-purpose backs who can do everything, that's scary. We have the opportunity to be one of the best running back rooms and groups in the country. Every time we step in that running back room, that's our mindset — to be the best position group in the country, and to lead this team." That's music to the ears of the Michi- gan defense, who all too often needed to play lights out while the U-M offense averaged a pedestrian 22 points per game last fall. Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale's crew will benefit greatly from the emergence of a more dynamic offense, and the Haynes-Marshall or Marshall-Haynes combination intends to be a major part of it. Senior edge Derrick Moore will play a crucial role in that defense, after re- cording a pair of sacks and a fumble recovery in the win over the Crimson Tide. The veteran also spoke of antici- pation over what Haynes will be able to do in a Michigan uniform. He expressed amazement in the newcomer's choice of weightlifting partners as well. "Justice is always in the weight room, or in the training room, or upstairs watching film," Moore noted. "Every- thing he does is like a pro. I'll be watch- ing him, and I'm like, he's going to be an ❱ Haynes "Coming to Michigan has been great. Best decision I ever made. Just the whole running back room, the way they accepted me, the whole team, like a brother."