Despite having a run game that was dominant at times last season, Michigan football didn't have any running backs reach 1,000 yards.
Jordan Marshall came up 68 yards short. If he had been 100 percent healthy for the Ohio State game, in which he got seven carries for 63 yards before he had to exit, the Ohio native would have eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards last season.
Now, a junior Marshall is the lead back. Justice Haynes, another running back for Michigan football who likely would have reached 1,000 yards last season if he hadn't suffered a season-ending injury. He's at Georgia Tech now.
Marshall won't have to share the ball with Haynes, but will have to share the backfield with another elite runner, Savion Hiter. CBS Sports named him the Preseason Freshman of the Year in College Football.
It makes a lot of sense when you think about it. An elite running back, paired with an up-and-coming offensive line and a head coach who loves to pound the rock. It's a match made in heaven.
The only thing that might get in the way is Marshall. Recently elected a team captain, Marshall was a force in Big Ten play last season. 823 of those 932 yards came within the conference. His breakout came against Nebraska, but there were four consecutive 100-yard games at one point.
Marshall practically willed the Wolverines past Purdue. And he did all of that while averaging 6.9 yards per carry. For much of that stretch, he was less than 100 percent, but there wasn't anyone sharing the load.
Hiter will do that this season. Both backs will be on the field at times. Hiter will be used in the slot, in whatever way possible, to get the ball into his hands 10-15 times per game. Michigan needs to be smart with Marshall and Hiter, because having the best running back tandem in the Big Ten won't matter if they aren't available in November.
With a better offensive line, which is more experienced, and more confident, Marshall should blow past 1,000 yards this season. It's hard to see him not reaching 1,200, assuming he's on the field for all 12 games.
If there were a player on the Michigan football roster who could play his way into the Heisman conversation this season, it might be Marshall. He would need more like a 1,500-yard season, but if the carries are there, the production will follow.
1,000 yards feels like a low bar.
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