Michigan Football: Why Michael Barrett could kill it at running back

If you don’t know the name Michael Barrett, you should, because he could be  a stud running back for Michigan football sooner than you think.

Recruiting isn’t an exact science. Just like the NFL draft, it’s not a fool proof process. Sometimes, you have to get lucky and when it comes to athlete Michael Barrett, Michigan football might have found a bit of good fortune.

If you don’t know Barrett, you should. The former Georgia high school quarterback, just committed to play for Michigan football, which is exciting, because of his tremendous upside.

While Barrett was a standout quarterback at the 7A level in Georgia, he was just a three-star athlete. But he is dynamic and runs the 40 in 4.41. During his impressive career, he threw for more than 4,000 yards, while also rushing for 2,647 yards and 37 touchdowns.

Teams really fell in love with Barrett late in the process. Michigan football got involved and nabbed a guy who apparently is close to Wolverines commit Otis Reese, who is still up in the air.

UM also beat out other schools like Florida State, Nebraska and Georgia Tech for his services. The Yellow Jackets wanted him to be a quarterback in their option system, it’s unclear if FSU and Nebraska saw him as a QB too.

At Michigan, he was never going to be a quarterback. The Wolverines always viewed him as something different, a running back or a slot returner, even a return guy. 

Michigan needs explosive athletes on offense and Barrett fits the bill. And during the process, one Michigan recruiting insider, said Barrett was the most impressive recruit he saw this year. He also said if he was evaluated as a running back, he would have been rated much higher than a three-star.

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After Barrett committed a week or so ago, the question of where would he play still lingered, until our friends over at Maize and Brew addressed it with the newest Wolverine. When asked if he would play running back, Barrett replied, “Yes.” 

It was the logical move, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him utilized as a receiver too, especially in the slot. But even at running back, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him play right away.

Yes, the Wolverines have talented backs like Karan Higdon, Chris Evans and Kareem Walker. However, Barrett, the 7A Player of the Year in Georgia, might be dynamic enough to work his way into the mix.

Evans didn’t come to Michigan football with tons of notoriety. But he impressed and forced coaches to put him on the field. Barrett could possibly do the same thing. He won’t be the starter by any means, but UM needs more explosive runs and he could help with that.

At the very least, he adds competition. Walker showed flashes of emerging in 2017, maybe he will in 2018. Maybe Evans or Higdon will continue to excel and Barrett won’t be needed. That would be great, even ideal.

The reality, however, could be much different. Walker is an unknown and honestly, after Higdon and Evans, the depth chart is wide open. Is it impossible to think Barrett could put himself in the mix right away?

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Not at all. Michigan is a meritocracy and if Barrett is among the three best running backs on the team next fall, he will play. And with his ability, it shouldn’t be shocking to anyone if he finds a way to do exactly that.