3 questions surrounding Michigan's RBs as spring practice nears

Michigan is in an incredibly unique position next season as the Wolverines have two potential NFL Draft selections at running back that will hope to continue a potent ground game that helped the Wolverines repeat as Big Ten Champions a season ago.

With the return of Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards nipping at his heels, how does the RB look to factor into the U-M offense moving forward?

Here are our three questions surrounding a crowded running back room as spring football nears.

Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards are likely the strongest running back duo in the country where it stands right now, the question comes down to how exactly the workload will be split between the duo.

Corum had a Heisman-like season a year ago and Edwards was excellent in spot duty as well as taking over after Corum's injury.

With Edwards deserving of an increased role, how do things get split up? Corum is going to continue what Corum does, get the hard yards and continue to make impressive runs by making something out of nothing.

Edwards' skillset makes him more versatile than Corum, with his ability to be split out wide, he has the capability of catching passes which makes him even more dangerous in open space.

It's a good problem for the Wolverines to have, no doubt. It just comes down to defining roles for both Corum and Edwards, who have chemistry and work well together.

There's no doubt that Edwards deserves some more of the spotlight.

With Corum and Edwards de facto starters, you have built-in depth at the running back position by default as each player can spell one another as needed.

So what does that mean for the likes of CJ Stokes and Tavierre Dunlap? With both Corum and Edwards' sights set on the NFL, it will be paramount to get both Stokes and Dunlap ready for the spotlight in 2024 if Edwards departs early (which he has been open in saying that he would like to do).

Stokes saw his role take a bit of a hit after an early-season fumble and Dunlap saw the field sparingly.

Even when Corum was out and Edwards was hampered, neither running back didn't necessarily take advantage of the opportunity given, either.

The same question can be asked about Kalel Mullings. Does he factor into the running back room at all or does he head back to the linebackers?

There will be plenty of questions about the U-M running back room once Corum and Edwards depart, it would behoove the Wolverines to get the next man up ready.

The Wolverines have two early enrollee running backs Cole Cabana and Benjamin Hall, which is a smart move as mentioned in the previous question. The faster you can get running back depth up to speed, the better.

Do Cabana and Hall do enough to see some playing time this season?

With the path to playing time crowded, it would mean that either player would have to perform way ahead of schedule in order to do so. Cabana could be a possible option, as his pure speed will make him a weapon. Perhaps not this year, but absolutely in the future.

If the freshmen were to see action it would mean either one of two things, with one option being good and the other being bad.

The good option is that both, or one, were good enough to jump up the depth chart to see the field. Too good to not play.

The other option, which would be the worst-case scenario for the team, is that they had to play out of necessity due to injury or any other unforeseen circumstance.

Regardless, getting both players ready to compete for a starting role next year is paramount as the top-end of the depth chart could very well take a significant hit in 2024.

---

Discuss this article with our community on our premium message boards

Not a subscriber to Maize & Blue Review? Sign up today to gain access to all the latest Michigan intel M&BR has to offer

Follow our staff on Twitter: @JoshHenschke, @Berry_Seth14, @TrevorMcCue, @DennisFithian, @BrockHeilig, @JimScarcelli, @lucasreimink, @JaredHalus

Subscribe to our podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify

Check out Maize & Blue Review's video content on YouTube

Follow Maize & Blue Review on social media: Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram