Michigan Football: Zach Charbonnet and rumors of transferring

Michigan football has struggled to run the ball and now, there are rumors about Zach Charbonnet seeking a transfer.

There are a lot of shocking things about Michigan football and its 1-3 record. But it’s really hard to believe that a running back as talented as Zach Charbonnet has carried the ball just 13 times.

That’s correct folks, in four games, the former top-50 recruit, who averaged five yards per carry last season as a freshman, has touched the ball just 13 times. Oh, and he has rushed for 98 yards, which is over seven yards a carry, so it makes sense that he never touches the ball right?

In fact, there is little that makes sense about the way Michigan has run the ball or tried to distribute carries. Not once in a game this season has a Michigan running back carried the ball 10 times.

And Blake Corum, who is averaging two yards per attempt, has 19 rushes this season. Hassan Haskins who is getting more than seven yards per carry, got one rushing attempt vs Wisconsin.

So when rumors surfaced Monday that Charbonnet was thinking about transferring away from Michigan football, you could see why. Even if it’s not true, the logic makes sense.

Of course, these rumors started on a message board but were given some legs by a USC insider. Yet, as you can see in this tweet from Isaiah Hole of Wolverines Wire, he says the rumors about Charbonnet aren’t true at all.

What do you believe?

So basically, we have a source from USC saying there could be something too it and a guy who covers Michigan football citing a source saying there is no truth to it.

Certainly, I don’t expect Charbonnet to up and leave the team during the middle of the season. But this running back rotation is stupid and it has got to change.

It seems obvious that Charbonnet and Haskins are the best running backs on the team. At least in terms of churning out yards, which means the coaching staff needs to give them an opportunity.

Charbonnet was given three rushing attempts against Wisconsin and got 21 yards. I know it was a blowout, but seriously? How can Josh Gattis, Jim Harbaugh or any offensive coach feel good after Charbonnet, a player many believed was ready for a breakout season, touches it three times?

That’s not just about poor execution — that’s bad game planning. The running game should have been this team’s bread and butter. Instead, it’s been abysmal, totaling 60 yards on the ground in the last two games.

Hopefully, that will change and also I hope someone on this coaching staff figures things out, because the running back rotation has been awful and it wouldn’t be shocking if Charbonnet or someone else ending up leaving because of it.