Michigan Football: 5 key storylines from Big Ten Media Days

The starter has been named

Jim Harbaugh squashed the running back rumors by naming Tru Wilson as the starter, but how long will he last?

Karan Higdon left gigantic shoes to be filled and the team has currently turned their attention to Wilson to fill them. Tru is the lone senior of the bunch and has by far the most experience at the position. In 13 games last year he rushed for 364 yards on 63 carries. That’s 5.9 yards-per-carry which is great considering Higdon averaged 5.3 in the same year.

Although, that can be misconstrued as a weak comparison considering Karan was a 1,000-yard rusher. Still, Wilson was always the favorite at the position despite Christian Turner‘s flashes of greatness.

The major argument against Wilson is the fantastic freshman Zach Charbonnet who hasn’t been afforded the opportunity to show off his skill set. The 6-foot-2 215-pound four-star from California will get his reps when fall comes around should he fully recover from his offseason knee surgery.

Matt’s musing

While I believe will happen is Tru will get the first snap and maybe even finish out of the set of downs. I doubt there will be unnecessary substitutions in the upgraded no-huddle offense but I don’t see Wilson ending the season as the leading man. If Charbonnet gets the time to develop and get healthy I can see even yardage between the three backs with the added possibility of Zach getting a few hundred more than the rest.

Anyone who is compared to big Ben Mason is going to see the field and its not just the coaches who have showered Zach with praise. Khaleke Hudson said he was most impressed with Charbonnet and that’s without a single snap on the field.