The Michigan football program won the national title in 2023, ending their 26-year-title drought, with a team that employed a run-first approach. The focal point of the offense wasn’t J.J. McCarthy, it was Blake Corum. And that season elevated Corum into the Maize & Blue running back pantheon, alongside names like “Touchdown Timmy” Biakabutuka and “A-Train” Anthony Thomas. Justice Haynes is expected to be one of the Wolverines’ two feature backs (or as some would say “featured backs”) this autumn.
Jordan Marshall, a former Mr. Ohio Football who earned the Reliaquest Bowl MVP award, will be the other main ball-carrier on this Michigan football team.
The Wolverines finished with a decent record of 8-5 (5-4 Big Ten) last year, but in Ann Arbor, “decent” is nowhere near good enough.
“I knew the accountability,” Haynes said in an exclusive with RG.org, when asked why he transferred in from Alabama.
“I knew what the standard is at Michigan, and that’s what a national championship each and every year. And I knew I wanted to be part of a program like that.
“I knew I wanted to be a place where I was gonna be held accountable no matter what, because at the end of the day, the only way you’re going to grow is if you’re challenged each and every day. And every day I get challenged at Michigan.
“I’m very strict having the amount of protein I need to have,” Haynes added. “I eat very clean, keep track of all that stuff. And to go with that, Loom was a great fit for me. It’s just the benefits that Loom has with it being a natural juice.
“Yes, it does give you that good flavor and a good taste, because it’s a great drink, but it’s also the aspect of how Loom is great to support you.
“Like you see a lot of these other juices that have all these sugars and stuff like that. I personally, I stay away from sugars a lot.”
It’s not going to be “And Justice for All” this fall when Tony Alford, the Michigan Wolverines Run Game Coordinator and Running Backs coach, game plans. (Although “And Justice for All” is the greatest Metallica album ever).
In addition to Marshall, Benjamin Hall and Jasper Parker could play a role as well. But it was Haynes who was the highest-ranked running back in the transfer portal, this offseason, according to 247Sports.
The third leading rusher on the Tide last season, he was also ranked the top impact transfer by On3.
And he’s already developed a great bond with Alford.
“He’s like my second father TA,” Haynes said.
“And we talk, we don’t just talk about ball, we talk about everything under the sun. We talk about life. It’s not just about football, it’s we’re doing we’re doing internships.
“We’re doing stuff like that to enhance us. We’re talking about manly stuff,- that’s real stuff, real talk.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter