Michigan Football: Breaking down the top 4 Running backs

Hassan Haskins

247 Sports: MO 11, RB 49, NATL 975

Rivals: MO 12, RB 40, NATL N/A

ESPN: MO 14, RB 55, NATL N/A

After seeing the product on the field, many are asking themselves: How did we miss this kid?

As the brother of an NFL linebacker, Hassan had all the attributes to be great at any position. He’s smart, healthy, and has an incredibly strong work ethic. And yet he received very little attention from the big-name schools, except Michigan.

After he committed and made his way north, Hassan Haskins transitioned over to the defensive side of a ball as a linebacker before returning to what he was mainly recruited for, running back. That time at linebacker surprisingly may have actually helped him to reach the levels he did – gaining the second-most yards behind Charbonnet.

“On defense, you basically have the same vision as a running back,” Hudson said. “You’ve got to see the hole before he sees the hole. Him just being able to play both sides, just knowing where the defense wants to go, knowing how the linebackers want to flow, I feel like it’s a great benefit for him.”

After redshirting his freshman year, Haskins found his calling in the backfield, rushing for 622 yards and finding the endzone four times. His 5.1 yards-per-carry leads all RBs which is impressive, but nowhere near his ceiling. What Hassan is capable of is 2197 yards and 31 touchdowns – his senior statistics from Eureka High School.

While Hassan is no doubt near the top of this list, he and Zach share one thing the others don’t: experience and trust with offensive coordinator Josh Gattis.