Michigan Football: Breaking down the top 4 Running backs

The Michigan football staff will have a tough decision next season determining the running back rotation. Here’s a breakdown of their top four choices.

Everyone knew who the successor would be when Karan Higdon ran out of eligibility and entered the NFL draft – right up until the minute they didn’t. Michigan football fans were shocked when Chris Evans, the heir apparent, was disqualified from participating due to an “academic issue,” leaving Tru Wilson, Christian Turner, Hassan Haskins, and true freshman Zach Charbonnet – and virtually anyone else who wanted to try out – fighting for the starring role on the Wolverine offense.

By the end of the season, Charbonnet and Haskins emerged as the go-to backs; splitting time and carries, but not in the red zone. The pair combined for 1,348 yards and 15 TDs (Charbonnet 11, Haskins 4), more than making up for the production lost a year ago. It helps, of course, to have four veteran linemen that are all potential draft picks and another younger tackle with NFL written all over him.

Just as you thought the rotation was set in stone for 2020-21, Evans regained eligibility, and if you’ve paid attention to his journey back to the gridiron you’d know he hasn’t taken a moment’s rest. Between work and working out at Xplosive Performance Academy, Chris has been preparing while his fellow classmen were competing.

There’s also incoming freshman Blake Corum, a four-star with a .9423 composite rating. Add on two inches and he’s a five-star, especially when you consider his work ethic. During Spring Break, while everyone else was fourteen beers down partying until dawn in Cancun, Blake was waking up at 4:30 am to begin his daily workout.

Jim Harbaugh, Josh Gattis, and running backs coach Jay Harbaugh are not going to throw a dart on the wall to determine which talented back will get the nod. It’s going to be a summer and fall full of evaluations and reevaluations until finally the depth chart is set.

Before that happens, let’s take an in-depth look at each of the candidates.