INDIANAPOLIS — It makes sense that Donovan Edwards is getting the headlines in Michigan football’s running back room.
A five-star recruit, he shared the team’s offensive rookie of the year honors then had more than 1,100 yards of offense as a sophomore and was named the MVP of the College Football Playoff championship as a junior.
Now, entering his senior season, he was a team representative at Big Ten media days in Indianapolis — par for the course for the man nicknamed “Big Game Don.”
But for all the attention U-M’s boisterous ball carrier demands, there’s another running back head coach Sherrone Moore feels is not getting his fair share.
“Yeah, the guy that’s not talked about enough is Kalel Mullings,” Moore said at Lucas Oil Stadium on Thursday. “He’s going to be a force. He’s unbelievable. He looks as good as he ever has. He’s here to have a great year.”
Sep 30, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Kalel Mullings (20) runs for a touchdown against Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Malcolm Hartzog (13) during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
UNDERRATED ONCE AGAIN: Wolverines right where they want to be — waiting in the shadows
Mullings’ 2023 was quietly solid as the former linebacker transitioned to offense full time and put together his most productive season: 36 rushes for for 222 yards (6.2 yards per carry) and one touchdown.
His advanced numbers looked good, too. Mullings averaged at team-best 4.17 yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus — Edwards averaged 2.67 yards after first contact — and 14 of his 36 rushes (38.9%) resulted in a first down or touchdown.
“I mean, you watch him last year, every time he came in, he has an explosive play,” Moore said. “He runs over somebody, makes somebody miss. It (was) just hard to take the ball out of Blake Corum’s hands, you know?”
But Corum, the most decorated running back in U-M history, is off to the NFL, leaving plenty of touches to be divided among the remaining Wolverines.
Edwards, projected to be the lead back in Tony Alford’s room, is one of them. Mullings is another.
But they’re not along, according to Moore (who spent time gushing about nearly every position group Thursday).
“We’ve got Ben Hall, we’ve got Cole Cabana,” he began. “We’ve got this freshman, Jordan Marshall. I mean, we’ve got Micah Ka’apana. We’ve got guys left and right. So, we’re really excited about that group and continue to go day by day.”
BIG TEN INSIDER: More glory — or potentially peril — awaits Sherrone Moore, Michigan football this season
Michigan offensive lineman Myles Hinton (78) warms up before the Indiana game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023.
Offensive line: ‘I think they’re going to be superstars’
The running backs’ production will rely heavily on U-M’s offensive line, as depleted by NFL departures as any in the nation — the Wolverines enter 2024 without 2023’s entire starting line plus the top rotational tackle in heavy packages
Unsurprisingly, the battle to be part of the starting line has already begun.
Myles Hinton, a Stanford transfer a year ago who started five times and played in 13 games for U-M in 2023, is the anchor at left tackle. All signs point to him starting next to left guard Josh Priebe, a Northwestern transfer this summer who played in 36 games (29 starts) for the Wildcats and was an All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2023.
“Guys like Myles Hinton and Josh Priebe have done an outstanding job,” Moore said. “I think they’re going to be superstars. I said it last year: Myles Hinton could be the best one of them all, and that includes the guys that were there (last year).”
The next closest “lock” to be on the field come Aug. 31 is Gio El-Hadi, the senior guard from Sterling Heights. Despite being buried behind Zak Zinter and Trevor Keegan (perhaps the two most decorated guards at U-M in the 21st century) for the first three years of his career, the 6-foot-5, 318-pounder has still been able to find his way onto the field and contribute.
El-Hadi has played in 30 games — 20 of them on offense — and has three starts to his name, all in 2022.
“A guy who’s been waiting,” said Moore, El-Hadi’s former position coach. “He’s been behind two All-American, all-conference guards. And he’s played in games, he’s started in games and been a stalwart for us. So super-excited about him.”
The two most prominent battles figure to come at center and right tackle. On the inside, it’s Raheem Anderson and Greg Crippen duking it out. The two have both been entrenched in battles the past three years as well, but lost out each time to players who are now in the NFL: Andrew Vastardis (2021), Olusegun Oluwatimi (2022) and Drake Nugent (2023).
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh shakes hands with offensive lineman Giovanni El-Hadi (58) after the Wolverines scored a touchdown against TCU during the second half at the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022.
Crippen has played in 15 games, Anderson in six.
Anchoring the right side will be a grad student: Andrew Gentry or Jeff Persi. Gentry, a 2020 graduate who went on a two-year mission, has the requisite size at 6-7 and 327 pounds. He saw time in all 15 games last year and has taken snaps on offense in nine games.
Persi, a 6-8, 320-pounder from Mission Viejo, California, started at left tackle in 2022 against Rutgers and has played on offense in 12 games.
“Both guys who have played a lot of football,” Moore said.
Moore also gave a nod to Dominic Guidice, a former defensive lineman, who is “really taking a step in the right direction.”
4.0 for No. 0
Semaj Morgan will wear No. 0 this season, but it wasn’t just given to the sophomore wide receiver.
Morgan, who wore No. 82 as a true freshman, had a standout campaign, with 22 catches for 204 yards and two touchdowns to go with four rushes for 67 yards and another score.
But it wasn’t without its struggles. Morgan spoke about the ups and downs of navigating life on his own as a freshman — making sure he was eating right, waking up for classes and making meetings on time on his own.
Michigan wide receiver Semaj Morgan makes a catch against Alabama during the first half of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024.
These days, he seems to have a handle on things in Ann Arbor.
“He got a 4.0 this semester, so that was a big change to allow him to get to No. 0,” his head coach said Thursday with a laugh. “He wouldn’t stop bugging me about it. He’s done an outstanding job.”
Morgan, who as he develops will draw more comparison to former NFL standout Steve Smith Sr. for his knack for playing above his weight, spoke this summer about how he expects a breakout campaign this fall.
If his work this summer is any indication, his coach expects it too.
“He practices so, so hard. He probably loses about five to six pounds every practice and has to gain it back,” Moore quipped. “The guy runs hard, runs physical, and for being a guy that’s so little in stature, he plays like he’s 200 pounds — and he’ll tell you that, too.”
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football RB Kalel Mullings running for respect
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