Last season, Michigan’s first-year offensive coordinator Josh Gattis not only installed a new offense, but he had to break in a group of mostly inexperienced running backs led by a freshman who earlier in the year underwent a knee procedure.
Chris Evans would have been the veteran in the room but a year-long suspension from the university held him out, leaving freshman Zach Charbonnet, converted linebacker Hassan Haskins, Christian Turner and tough-running Tru Wilson, the only back with more than a small dose of playing time, to handle the job.
Now, as the Wolverines prepare for the Big Ten eight-game season with the plus-one seeded cross-over game, Wilson has transferred, Turner has opted out, but Charbonnet, Haskins and Evans are back joined by speedy freshman Blake Corum.