The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1536962
THE WOLVERINE 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 159 A s Michigan football season previews hit the press this sum- mer, the biggest headline will be how incoming fresh- man and former No. 1 overall prospect Bryce Underwood will perform at quarterback. The biggest question will be if he can lead U-M back to the College Football Playoff. The biggest spotlight will be shin- ing directly on him and his monumental expectations. Yes, Underwood will be under the sun. Everyone wants to see if he will look poised in the pocket, con- nect on the big-time throws to keep the chains moving, be a devious threat with his legs and put points on the scoreboard. This is under- standable. Quarterback is the most important position on the field. Michigan being so poor throwing the ball last season undermined its championship defense. Whether Underwood can turn that around will attract lots of attention. However, as I wrote about in our May issue, recent history indicates that Un- derwood will not be an instant savior for the Wolverines. Maybe he will start to be more consistent and reliable near the end of the season with more games under his belt. But notwithstanding all the hype and Cam Newton comparisons, Under- wood most likely will have his bumps and freshman moments early. Other Wolverines will need to step up immediately to help shoulder Michigan's offensive load while Underwood is learn- ing. The best bets? Running backs Jordan Marshall and Justice Haynes. Marshall is a former top-100 recruit who is ready to take the leap into star- dom as a true sophomore. Although he sat most of last year behind then-seniors Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards, he was given his moment to show what he can do in the ReliaQuest Bowl after Mull- ings and Edwards opted out. Marshall capitalized on it. He churned out 100 yards on 23 carries (4.4 yards per carry) against Alabama, which finished eighth in Defensive SP+, despite the fact that the Wolverines were no threat to throw after Davis Warren's injury in the third quarter. Marshall did not let the crowding Crimson Tide defense slow him down. He racked up 82 yards after contact (meaning only 18 came before contact!) and forced a remarkable 12 missed tackles. For com- parison's sake, the only running back to average double-digit missed tackles was Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty at Boise State, and the other elite running backs averaged closer to 5 to 7 per game. Marshall demonstrated that he can run tough and keep the sticks moving. He did enough to help Michigan win the Relia- Quest Bowl and earned MVP honors for his efforts. He will need to continue to do that as a co-starter. Marshall's co-starter will be Haynes, an incoming transfer from Alabama coinci- dentally enough. Haynes was one of the most heralded running back prospects in the offseason portal — third-best via On3. He was so sought after due to his recruiting pedigree — No. 33 overall prospect in the 2023 class — and his flash with the Crim- son Tide. As a sophomore last season, Haynes was part of a three-headed run- ning attack with quarterback Jalen Milroe and tailback Jam Miller. Although Haynes had the fewest touches of the trio with 79 carries for 448 yards and 7 scores, he was the most explosive. He averaged 5.7 yards per carry, which was best on Alabama and the sixth-highest in the SEC. Some of this can be attributed to an 85-yard touchdown, but he also had four other 20-yard-plus sprints on just 78 other runs. As a result, he had a breakaway percentage — Pro Football Focus defines it as the percentage of yards earned on runs of 15-plus yards — of 45.5. This was 16th among qualified Power Four running backs. Haynes may not have the highest top-end speed, but he can cut quickly and burst through a gap for chunks. As such, Marshall and Haynes should complement each other well, with Marshall grinding out more of the hard yards and Haynes snatching the easier ones. And both should expect plenty of touches and success in U-M's offense. Under former head coach Jim Harbaugh and current head coach Sherrone Moore, the foundation of the Maize and Blue of- fense was and remains to smash the de- fense for yards on the ground. In each year from 2021 to 2024, Michigan was in the top 25 in run-play percentage, including 15th last season. Even with a new offensive coordinator in Chip Lindsey and Under- wood's arrival, Michigan's identity of run- ning the ball should not change. As Underwood breaks in, the Wolver- ines will need to rely on Marshall and Haynes to carry U-M down the field and into the end zone, particularly early. The good news is both are equipped to do it. During these past few years, Michigan has been blessed with a string of excel- lent running back tandems, from Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum to Corum and Edwards to Mullings and Edwards. Mar- shall and Haynes are ready to be the next excellent pair to join this illustrious list. ❏ INSIDE THE NUMBERS DREW HALLETT RBs, Not The QB, Will Be U-M's Breakout Stars Staff writer Drew Hallett has covered Michigan athletics since 2013. Contact him at drew.c.hallett@gmail.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @DrewCHallett. In his first career start against Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl last season as a true freshman, running back Jordan Marshall forced an impressive 12 missed tackles and gained 82 of his 100 yards rushing after contact. PHOTO BY STEVE JACOBSON/RELIAQUEST BOWL