Michigan Wolverines football has two running backs that will each play significant roles this season — junior Justice Haynes and sophomore Jordan Marshall — but who will actually start Saturday night’s season-opener in the backfield with freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood? That position battle — unlike some of the others on the team — is too close to call, and […]
Michigan Wolverines football has two running backs that will each play significant roles this season — junior Justice Haynes and sophomore Jordan Marshall — but who will actually start Saturday night’s season-opener in the backfield with freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood?
That position battle — unlike some of the others on the team — is too close to call, and the one “who practices the best this week” will win the job. The caveat is that it may not matter all that much who’s first to begin the season — what is more important is how each performs all year long, and who ends up being the best option in certain situations.
Head coach Sherrone Moore said at his press conference Monday that “they’ll both play a lot,” and reiterated that they both will have huge roles while appearing on the ‘Inside Michigan Football’ radio show later that evening.
“You feel like both of those guys can run inside and out,” Moore said. “Justice has shown to have that home run-hitter ability. Obviously, you saw it on tape from Alabama, but he’s done it multiple times here, and he’s also shown that he can run you over, too. Jordan is that super violent runner that we saw in the bowl game, and he continues to be that. So, it’s going to be fun to watch them do that in live action.”
Haynes transferred in from Alabama, where he rushed 79 times for 448 yards and 7 touchdowns and caught 17 passes for 99 yards as a sophomore during the 2024 regular season. He entered the portal and committed to Michigan in December, meaning he didn’t play in the bowl game against the Wolverines.
A star — Marshall — was born in that 19-13 Wolverine win in the ReliaQuest Bowl. The 5-foot-11, 216-pound Cincinnati native churned out 100 hard-fought yards and forcing 12 missed tackles, which stands as the most by a Michigan ball-carrier in a game since Blake Corum against MSU in 2022.
Regardless of who starts out, both will get their snaps, carries and targets throughout the season.
“You’ve got to have two guys. I think the season dictates that,” Michigan offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey said on the same radio show. “They’re both extremely competitive, but they’re both great teammates. They both have a similar skill set. I think they’ll run well between the tackles and have the ability to make people miss at the second and third level. And they both catch it well out of the backfield.
“I believe there will be times I don’t even know who’s in the game. I’m just calling the play. We’ll try to keep those guys as fresh as we can, and see how those things play out.”
Depth is important at the position, and the depth chart is becoming a tad more clear for the third spot on it, though there’s still some uncertainty as to who’s earned what role.
“Jasper Parker, the freshman, has really stepped up and tried to cement himself as that third back, with [junior Bryson] Kuzdzal and [sophomore] Micah Ka’apana.”
A Marrero (La.) Archbishop Shaw product, Parker was a blue-chip recruit, according to On3. The site had him ranked as the No. 164 overall player and 10th-best running back in the 2025 class. The 6-foot-0, 205-pounder wears jersey No. 27, and he’s projected to see some time in the opener.
Expect to see all six Michigan running backs out there this season, starting with the Saturday night clash versus New Mexico.
“I think all of those guys will play in some sort of fashion, whether it’s special teams or a spot here and there,” Moore said. “But obviously, Jordan and Justice will be the 1-2 punch.”
‘It’s game week! It’s game week!’
New Mexico has over 50 new players, and a brand new coaching staff led by head man Jason Eck, whose Idaho Vandals gave Oregon a scare in a 24-14 loss to open the 2024 campaign. Michigan has to be on high alert for playing a talented and well-coached team, but also must focus on itself, Moore said.
“We just have to play within ourselves and do our job,” the Michigan coach noted. “I hope none of our players look at spreads, because the spread piece, we’ve been there, we’ve seen what that movie looks like last year.
“We’re just going to take it day by day. We keep harping on this theme of ‘TNT,’ today, not tomorrow, and working on being our best selves today so we can go win this game on Saturday.”
The Wolverines are fired up, potentially sick of facing each other in practice, and that’s led to elation around Schembechler Hall early this week.
“I came in this morning at, I don’t know, I think it was like 5:45, and there were guys getting ready to go to their workout, and they were screaming at the top of their lungs,” Moore said. “I’m like, ‘What’s wrong with you guys?’ They’re like, ‘It’s game week! It’s game week!’ And I get done, and I’m walking in, and [senior linebacker] Ernest Hausmann comes in and is like, ‘It’s game week! It’s game week!’
“So, there’s a buzz, there’s an energy. They’re excited, and they’re ready to go hit somebody else.”
They won’t have to wait much longer. It’s game week.
Category: General Sports
