Michigan Football: Chris Evans could breakout under Josh Gattis

Michigan football is getting running back Chris Evans back for the 2020 season and here’s why he could breakout under new OC Josh Gattis.

The 2017 Michigan football season likely seems like it was a long time ago for senior running back Chris Evans.

In his sophomore campaign, Evans carried the ball a career-high 135 times for 685 yards and seven total touchdowns. It was a season that included some eye-popping runs that showed Evans’ athleticism and potential as a running back.

The next season, Evans could not emulate his 2017 success with Michigan football, getting the ball just 81 times on the ground for 423 yards in 2018 (even though his yards per carry was up to 5.2 from 5.1 in 2017). Then, Evans learned he would have to sit out the entire 2019 season due to being academically ineligible.

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In that time frame, Michigan’s running back room has become a strength even without Evans, with the emergence of both Zach Charbonnet and Hassan Haskins last season. The Wolverines also have Christian Turner on the roster to add to that depth along with incoming freshman Blake Corum.

But with Evans having a year off to gather himself and work himself in with second-year offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, he has a chance to be a force in this offense.

Even when Evans peaked back in 2017, Michigan football fans had to be wondering if he could ever reach his full potential in the old offensive scheme.

Now, in an offense that should be even more polished in Gattis’ second season, Evans should have an opportunity to put his talent on display more than ever before.

Here is why Evans could be poised for a breakout season in 2020.

Gattis’ ability to utilize ‘speed in space’

‘Speed in space’ is the popular phrase Gattis likes to use when describing his offensive system. Although it was fair to wonder where some of that was early on in the 2019 season, that motto seemed to come more into play as the season wore on.

There are two plays, in particular, that stand out late last season where Gattis does a brilliant job at using this concept.

One was in the Ohio State game, where freshman Giles Jackson is lined up at receiver on the left side on Michigan’s opening drive of the game. Michigan does a nice job of selling this as a run play to Haskins before Giles releases from the left side and gets the ball on the outside with a head of steam before the OSU defense has a chance to react.

Another example is in the Michigan State game at the Big House in 2019. This time, Gattis uses Donovan Peoples-Jones to swing the ball outside to in space on a pass play. Using his speed and blocking in front of him, he scores against the Spartans defense while coming in motion across the formation from his wideout position (skip to 5:35 in the video).

These types of plays are encouraging for Evans because they are plays that also fit his strengths. At Ben Davis High School, Evans also had plenty of reps as a slot receiver, which is why it’s easy to envision Gattis finding a way to utilize him both out of the backfield and in the slot.

Gattis used Jackson in a lot of those types of situations last season. Him and Evans on the field at the same time, along with Ronnie Bell and Nico Collins as threats at wide receiver, would give defenses plenty to think about.

How high is Evans’ ceiling for this season?

While it is difficult to envision Evans becoming a No. 1 back after being out a season and coming into a new system, his ceiling is high in the sense that he seems to be a perfect match for Gattis’ scheme.

He isn’t going to be a guy to touch the ball 25 times a game like Charbonnet is capable of, but more as a weapon that can be utilized throughout the season to keep defenses on their heels.

If Evans gets off to a hot start in the first few weeks of the season, his role in the offense and his touches only figure to grow.

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For Wolverines’ offense to reach its full potential, it needs Evans to reach his in his final season in a Michigan football uniform.

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