The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 25 After a 149-yard game at Nebraska Sept. 20, he had four-game totals of 66 carries for 537 yards and 6 touchdowns, by far team bests. He now stands alone as the only U-M back to start his career with four straight 100-yard games. Before the season, Haynes and sopho- more Jordan Marshall were considered "1A and 1B" on the depth chart, both ex- pected to have great seasons. Marshall has started a bit slower than expected, though coaches still expect him to be out- standing, but Haynes has been even better than hoped in picking up the slack. "He's ultra-competitive," Michi- gan interim coach Biff Poggi, fill- ing in for Sherrone Moore for two games during the head coach's suspension, said after the win over the Chippewas. "He's very bright. He obviously has unbeliev- able athletic skills, but he's the kind of kid who wants the football. … He wants the football … and you want him to have the football as a coach. "I think he's one of the top backs in the country, if not the top back." Consider this, too. Had he not had a 70-yard touchdown called back in the win over CMU, his rushing average would be even higher than his current 8.1 yards per carry. Regardless, he's now first in the Big Ten and No. 3 nationally with 134.3-yard per game average after the Nebraska win. It was evident in Game 1, though, that the Wolverines might have something special. Haynes had been opening eyes in fall camp with his speed and overall abil- ity, to the point that he earned the start for the opener against New Mexico (a 34-17 Michigan win). Three carries in, the junior took a hand- off, found a huge hole, and cut outside the linebackers for a 56-yard touchdown, his first of many more to come. Head coach Sherrone Moore found offensive line coach Grant Newsome and gave him a friendly "I told you so!" shove, unable to contain his excitement. "I mean, 16 carries, 159 yards, 3 touch- downs … pretty electric," Moore said after the game. "The most yards since 1970 in a debut, so that kind of explains it. "It's really good. It's something we've seen since spring. It's something we've seen this summer, and we saw in fall camp. I think I said it to the staff on Thursday [before the opener] … 'I don't know when it's going to be, but he's going to break a 50-yard run and he's going to be gone,' and it was early in the game." He wasn't surprised, he added, just excited to see it continue to build … and build it has. In talking with former Mich- igan back Jamie Morris (1984-87), he agreed Haynes' breakaway speed might be the best we've seen since the Wheatley days, at least among full-time backs. But it's not just the wheels that set Haynes apart. He's shown great footwork and vision along with leadership qualities that have endeared him to teammates. Just before halftime in the win over CMU, Haynes helped the Wolverines march down the field to the 1-yard line with U-M already up 28-3. Rather than stay in to finish the drive, he asked running backs coach Tony Alford to put Marshall in to try for his first career touchdown. "He's like, 'I want Jordan to score this one,'" Marshall recalled. "… Getting to the end zone for the first time, I feel like it's been a long time. I've been playing, but it was great. "To have the culture and a guy like Jus- tice, we get to feed off each other's energy. It's amazing." Splitting the carries is a "fine balance," Haynes acknowledged, only because he picks up tendencies as games progress and starts getting in a groove. Chances are he'll continue to see the bulk of the carries, even with Marshall push- ing him. He's also remained grounded af- ter his hot start, ignoring social me- dia and avoiding "getting too high." At the same time, he knows what he can do, and he wants the ball when it matters. "I would say I'm always confident in my God-given abilities," he said. "I just put in the work each and every day and let the chips fall where they fall. But I do have high expectations for myself, so I want to keep it going." Odds are he will, given how he's play- ing, and that the Michigan offense will continue to benefit. ❏ Best Rushing Performances In Their First Four Games By First-Year Starters In The Last 40 Years Michigan has had some elite rushers in its storied history, including many who emerged in their first years as starters. Justice Haynes is in elite company after rushing 66 times for 537 yards and 6 touchdowns in his first four games. Here are the most noteworthy performances by first-time starters: Tyrone Wheatley, 1992: Wheatley had some nice games as a freshman but burst onto the scene as a sophomore to become the first Michigan back (and only one until Haynes joined him this year) to run for 100-plus yards in his first three starts. He rushed for 224 yards in his first, a win over Iowa, 172 in a win over Michigan State, 134 in a victory at Indiana, and then 148 in a win over Minnesota. Mike Hart, 2004: Hart, a true freshman, didn't start until the fifth game of the season despite putting up 121 yards in a victory over San Diego State and 99 in a victory over Iowa. He ripped off 79 yards in his first start, a win at Indiana, 160 in a victory over Minnesota, and then notched back-to-back 200-yard games with 234 in a win at Illinois, and 206 in a victory at Purdue. Denard Robinson, 2010: Though he did it from his quarterback position, Robinson was essen- tially another running back on the field for the Wolverines. He ran for 197 in the opener with UConn, tore up Notre Dame in South Bend with 258, put up 104 versus UMass and posted 129 against Bowling Green, all Michigan wins. He then added 217 in a victory at Indiana in Week 5 for good measure. Blake Corum, 2022: Corum had great success in 2021 backing up Hassan Haskins, but he didn't start until 2022. He ran for 76, 88 and 71 yards in limited carries due to blowout wins over Colo- rado State, Hawai'i and UConn, and then blew up for 243 in a victory over Maryland, his first of eight straight 100-yard-plus games. Justice Haynes, 2025: The junior ran for a 159 yards in the opener, a win over New Mexico, then rushed for 125 in a loss at Oklahoma, 104 in a victory over Central Michigan, and 149 in a win at Nebraska in establishing himself as Michigan's No. 1 tailback this season. — Chris Balas ❱ Interim head coach Biff Poggi "I think he's one of the top backs in the country, if not the top back."