Michigan Football: Breaking down commitment of 3-star RB Benjamin Hall

The Michigan football program added a commitment to its 2023 recruiting class thanks to the addition of three-star running back Benjamin Hall. 

There wasn’t a rush of crystal ball projections or anything like that for three-star running back Benjamin Hall before he committed to the Michigan football team on Tuesday, but he’s now a member of U-M’s 2023 recruiting class all the same.

Some fans aren’t going to be thrilled about his ranking but the 5-foot-10, 225-pound running back has a big fan in Michigan running backs coach Mike Hart and that’s all that matters.

Hart was obviously ready to take his commitment, which is the second this cycle from a running back as Cole Cabana, a top recruit in the state of Michigan, committed in February.

Hall is ranked 48th in the state of Georgia and is unranked in the 247 sports composite rankings right now. He also doesn’t have a super impressive offer sheet as Boston College, Cincinnati, and South Carolina, along with Minnesota, Purdue, Virginia, Wake Forest, as well as Vanderbilt have all offered.

Breaking down what the commitment means for 2023

Cabana, who is listed as a four-star prospect according to 247 sports, is 180 pounds and is a guy that can do multiple things. He’s great at catching the football and he’s dynamic but might not be a bell-cow type. Hall is more of a traditional back and fits that power mode that Michigan football had last season with Hassan Haskins.

I wouldn’t fret about Hall’s ranking honestly. Others have been low-ranking when they committed to Michigan and have seen that go up afterward and not just because of the commitment. Hall, for instance, has been doing well on the recruiting circuit and was the RB MVP of the Under Armour All-America Camp Series stop in Atlanta.

Hall averaged 5.7 yards per rushing attempt last season and had 12 receptions. He’s not incredibly fast but he runs with power and his highlights show a knack for eluding tacklers. Plus, many of his offers have come in the past few weeks, so he’s trending upward.

Remember, Hassan Haskins was formerly a low-ranking three-star recruit and he just put together one of the most impressive seasons a Wolverine running back has ever had.

Yet, I don’t think Michigan is going to be done at running back. The Wolverines are in the mix for a number of other four-star prospects and if this commitment was going to take them out of the running, it’s hard to see them taking it.

Yet, Mike Hart has proven over the years he can evaluate players and it seems like Hill is close to breaking out. So it’s probably a smart take but won’t prevent the Wolverines from adding a top-flight running back if they are able to add another one to the class.