The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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R U N N I N G B A C K S 54 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW script," he said. "Being around our room, which is really high on football IQ — you have [analyst] Freddie J. [Jackson], you have Coach Alford, me, and Justice. Jus- tice has played a lot of ball. "You start to build those things from each other and learn off each other's skill set, and to have different skill sets in all the backs is really important." Ka'apana, meanwhile, managed 34 yards rushing and 1 touchdown on 15 car- ries in the spring game. He only played in two games last year (1 carry for 4 yards) but will vie for the opportunity at No. 3. Freshman Donovan Johnson from Bra- denton (Fla.) IMG Academy reportedly suffered a season-ending knee injury in the offseason. Freshman Jasper Parker (Marrero, La.) and transfers CJ Hester (529 yards rushing at UMass) and John Volker (514 at Princeton) will add depth. Marshall loves what new offensive co- ordinator Chip Lindsey has brought to the offense and is eager to see it in action. "It's great knowing that we're not going to have to run into stacked boxes and we can spread teams out," he said. "Hopefully, we're at the point where we can all get some carries … and when we get the ball out to the receiv- ers, who are going to catch the ball, everybody will have an opportunity to show." That's called " balance." When it comes down to it, Lindsey said, they under- stand the need to be physical in November and to pound the rock. And they seem to have the stable to do it, led by a duo who might turn out to be as good as any in the Big Ten. ❑ Year-By-Year Rushing Leaders Year Player Carries Yards TD 2024 Kalel Mullings 185 948 12 2023 Blake Corum 258 1,245 27 2022 Blake Corum 247 1,463 18 2021 Hassan Haskins 270 1,327 20 2020* Hassan Haskins 61 375 6 2019 Zach Charbonnet 149 726 11 2018 Karan Higdon 224 1,178 10 2017 Karan Higdon 164 994 11 2016 De'Veon Smith 181 846 10 2015 De'Veon Smith 180 753 6 * COVID season (six games) [FYI] ❱ Jordan Marshall had a breakout game in the final contest of his true freshman season, rushing for 100 yards on 23 carries in the 19-13 win over Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31, 2024, and won the game's MVP honors. The former Mr. Football in the state of Ohio was rated as the nation's No. 4 running back coming out of high school and is expected to have a significant role this season. ❱ U-M made Justice Haynes, who rushed for 448 yards and 7 touchdowns at Alabama in 2024, one of its top priorities during the transfer portal cycle, landing the class' third-ranked running back and No. 43 overall player, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Haynes and Marshall could be the next great running back duo for the program in 2025, taking the baton from Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards. ❱ U-M augmented its depth at running back in the post-spring transfer portal window by adding John Volker from Princeton and CJ Hester from UMass. The needs materialized after Benjamin Hall's transfer to North Carolina and an injury to incoming freshman Donovan Johnson. ❱ Michigan's lead running back has had at least 900 yards and double-digit touchdown runs in 6 of the last 8 seasons, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. Last year, Kalel Mullings led the team with 948 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns. Quick Facts Position Coach: Tony Alford (2nd year at U-M as running backs coach) Returning Starters: Jordan Marshall (1 ca- reer start) Departing Starters: Donovan Edwards (14), Kalel Mullings (5) Projected New Starters: Marshall, Justice Haynes (6, at Alabama) Top Reserves: Micah Ka'apana Newcomers: Jasper Parker, Donovan John- son Moved In: Haynes, CJ Hester, John Volker, Moved Out: Cole Cabana, Tavierre Dunlap, Benjamin Hall Rookie Impact: N/A Most Improved Player: Marshall Best Pro Prospect: Haynes POSITION COACH Tony Alford was hired in the spring of 2024, and is in his second season as running backs coach and run game co- ordinator after nine seasons at Ohio State, including the last two as assistant head coach for offense. Under his watch, Kalel Mullings experienced a breakout season in 2024, leading the team in rush attempts (185), yards (948) and touch- downs (12). Mullings was selected in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans. Donovan Edwards also made the jump to the pros, going to the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent after posting 128 carries for 589 yards and 4 touchdowns as a senior. With the Buckeyes, Alford mentored four running backs who produced six 1,000-yard seasons — Ezekiel Elliott (2015), Mike Weber (2016), J.K. Dobbins (2017-19) and TreVeyon Henderson (2021). Four of his Buckeye backs were drafted in the NFL, including three top- 100 selections in Elliott (No. 4 overall), Dob- bins (No. 55) and Trey Sermon (No. 88). Previously, the 55-year-old coached at Notre Dame for six years from 2009-14, working with wide receivers for two seasons and run- ning backs for four. The 30-year veteran also coached running backs at Louisville (2007- 08), Iowa State (2002-06), Washington (2001), Iowa State (1997-2000), Kent State (1996) and Division III Mount Union (1995). The Akron, Ohio, native attended Colorado Springs (Colo.) Doherty High and Colorado State University, where he was a four-year running back. RETURNING PLAYERS MICAH KA'APANA • RB So. • Waianae, Hawai'i Ht.: 5-11 • Wt.: 190 • Appeared in two games in 2024, rushed once for 4 yards. • Named Scout Team Offen- sive Player of the Week in helping prep for Arkansas State. • Racked up 732 rushing yards and 9 touch- downs as a senior and rushed for 1,001 yards and 15 scores as a junior. • Helped Las Vegas Bishop Gorman win three straight Nevada Class 5A state champion- ships from 2021-23 and the 2023 MaxPreps national title. • Tabbed as a three-star recruit, and checked in as the No. 38 running back in the country and second-best player in Nevada, per the On3 Industry Ranking. Year GP/GS Att. Yds. Avg. TD 2024 2/0 1 4 4 0