Michigan football RB Bryson Kuzdzal, a former walk-on out of Grand Rapids (Forest Hills Eastern) had 326 yards and four touchdowns in 2025.
Michigan football's running back talent just got even deeper.
Running back Bryson Kuzdzal, who entered the transfer portal earlier this month, will withdraw his name from the NCAA database and return to Ann Arbor in 2026, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to the Free Press on condition of anonymity because the move is not yet official.
Kuzdzal, a former walk-on out of Grand Rapids (Forest Hills Eastern), saw his first extended playing time during the 2025 season. He had 76 carries for 326 yards (4.3 yards per rush) and four touchdowns.
He began the season as as the Wolverines' third-string back, but moved into a backup role in the month of November when starter Justice Haynes suffered a broken foot.
Then, when Jordan Marshall injured his shoulder, Kuzdzal took over as U-M's lead back for the final three games, which included a career-high 20 carries for 100 yards and three touchdowns against Maryland. He also had 82 yards on 20 carries in Michigan's Citrus Bowl loss to Texas.
Kuzdzal's decision was dependent on the futures of Haynes and Marshall. If both were returning, he was prepared to go elsewhere. But with Haynes transferring to Georgia Tech, Kuzdzal opted to return.
It creates a slight logjam on the depth chart for the Wolverines. Marshall, who ran for 932 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, returns as the likely No. 1 back. Behind him, it will be a battle between Kuzdzal and Savion Hiter, the top-rated running back recruit in the nation, per 247 Sports' composite rankings.
U-M also has Micah Ka'apana, Donovan Johnson and Jonathan Brown at running back.
Taylor Tatum, who is transferring from Oklahoma to Michigan and who was the No. 1 running back recruit in the class of 2024, will begin in Ann Arbor as a safety.
New coach Kyle Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck had a successful ground game this past season at Utah – the Utes were No. 1 in yards per carry, No. 2 in yards per game and among the top five in scoring – and now seem to have at least three reliable running backs in their first season in Ann Arbor.
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football gets RB Bryson Kuzdzal back from transfer portal
Category: General Sports
