Everyone knows that Michigan wants to run the ball. But so far, that hasn't kept running back Justice Haynes from achieving success at the highest level.
The 5-11, 210-pound transfer from Alabama has been phenomenal since arriving in Ann Arbor. He's poised and polished as a runner and when at the mic, and is reportedly one of the best teammates anyone can ask for.
Haynes obviously gets excited when he does something well, but seems to be even more pumped up when his fellow running back Jordan Marshall finds success on the field.
“That’s my brother. I want to see him succeed more than me. One win, we all win,” Haynes said of Marshall.
Of course, that energy trickles down and Marshall took notice.
“He’s like, ‘I want Jordan to score this one,’ ” Marshall said, recalling what Haynes told him about getting into the end zone. "To have the culture and a guy like Justice, we get to feed off each other’s energy, it’s amazing.”
Haynes is succeeding everywhere, but most notably on the field. Haynes is in his third year of college ball but his first at Michigan after spending his freshman and sophomore seasons at Alabama. Unable to find significant carries in Tuscaloosa, Haynes arrived in Ann Arbor with hopes of getting a lot of run and he's getting just that.
In fact, Haynes is the firs Michigan running back to rush for 100 yards in his first four games as a Wolverine. Through those four contests, Haynes has 66 carries for 537 yards and 6 touchdowns and is averaging 8.1 yards per carry. He's in the Heisman discussion early and is also impressing NFL Draft experts.
OG draft guru Mel Kiper has taken notice and recently lauded Haynes on an ESPN broudcast.
“Michigan running back Justice Haynes is making a case to be a third- or fourth-round pick next April,” Kiper said. “He’s the son of Verron Haynes, a former Georgia running back who I scouted before he went in the fifth round of the 2002 draft to the Steelers.
"“At 5-11 and 210 pounds, he plays with a low center of gravity and generates powerful leg drive. This isn’t a running back who is going to dance around behind the line of scrimmage and take a tackle for loss; he’s a one-cut-and-go runner with good body lean. Once he gets through the hole, he can be hard to catch. Haynes has four carries for 50-plus yards this season, helping him to 537 yards and six TDs through four games. The Alabama transfer also stands out as a pass catcher and blocker. He high-pointed a catch against Nebraska, and his ability to pass protect is evident on the tape.”
That's obviously high praise from a teammate and an expert in the area of college and professional football, but the praise doesn't stop there. Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore, along with interim head coach Biff Poggi, have both gushed about Haynes as well.
Most recently, after Michigan's big win over Nebraska, Poggi explained what makes Haynes special.
"He has good vision and he has excellent acceleration and as you see … we’ve played at some really good places with good, fast secondary players. Here and Oklahoma, and he had finishing speed," Poggi explained.
Those traits have him excelling on the field, in the Heisman conversation and on draft boards — not bad for the first-year Wolverine.