On his health

Health is good. Health is doing really good. I feel like I'm a couple weeks ahead. Not really, but that's how I feel. I'm starting to walk a little bit and before you know it, I'll be running. Everything is going as planned. I'm sticking to the plan and it feels really good.

On how hard is to mentally not rush yourself while injured and on crutches

It's tough. It's because you feel good. You feel strong, you feel like the rehab is really working. It's hard but you have to listen to the doctors, they know best. It's hard to follow directions. I feel like a kid, you tell them not to touch the fire and they touch the fire. It's hard. It's hard but I'm listening to them. I'm not doing too much, not doing too less.

On his decision for 2023

I didn't have a decision that Friday before the game. It was electric in there. I thought about it, prayed about it, talked to my parents, talked to my close family members. At the end of the day, it's bigger than football, right? It's bigger than football. It's about furthering my education, getting that degree from Michigan. It's about the community. It's about the University of Michigan, it's about leaving that legacy. Going to get what I came here for. From my freshman year to my junior year, it's been a tremendous ride. Been a lot of ups and downs, especially that year during COVID, there were a lot of ups and downs. Sophomore year, we couldn't finish. Headed to the College Football Playoffs, beat Ohio State finally, won the Big Ten. Couldn't finish this past year, we did the same thing. We know what it takes. I'm a Michigan Man through and through. I love Michigan and I love being here. It was a tough decision but I will be coming back for my senior year. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to win it all. I hope Team 144 is ready, I'm going to make sure they're ready. Best believe I'll be back in the community bringing everyone together. Like I said, I'm a Michigan Man through and through but I'm so happy to be back. It was a tough decision but I know it is the right decision. I can't wait to be back in the Big House the right way this time. Last time I left it, I left it with a knee injury. I'll be back full force and ready to take on any challenge and ready to win it all.

On how often he was contemplating either decision

A lot. Even before that. As soon as I got hurt. I said, alright, I'm just going to get this surgery and get ready for the draft. Then I really started thinking about it, I was praying to God, and he was sending me signals. I wake up another day, hey dad, I'm going to Michigan. I'm coming back. I got unfinished business. Then I wake up the next day, I think the right business decision is probably to go. I prayed on it and prayed on it. Being at the game, interacting with the fans who I just love so much, I can't go out like that. The people that know me know me for my hard work and just being a man of integrity and a man of my word. I didn't like the feeling of getting injured in the Big House and leaving like that. I want to finish off my legacy, finish what I started. After the game, thought about it, thought about it, prayed about it. I think this is the best decision. I hope everyone is ready, we're coming back stronger than ever. It's going to be a fun ride.

On whether the risk of injury next year weighed into his decision

I don't live that way. Every time I get on that field, I don't think about injury, I just play the game, play the sport, play at full speed and whatever happens, happens. It could possibly happen, right? I'm not worried. The NFL is going to be there but, Michigan, I can only be here once and I can only impact the University of Michigan, the community, my teammates, once. I'm ready for that last year. My senior year. It's going to be fun, it's going be a fun ride. I'm excited, man. I'm excited to get back on that field with the boys and really just go finish it all. We're so close. I think Team 144 can finish it off.

On NIL impacting his decision

That could've played a little bit of a role, right? You have to make the best business decision for you. It was, honestly, bigger than that. It's the bigger picture. I have unfinished business. I, personally, couldn't live with myself with knowing that. Especially because I got hurt. If I could've played against Ohio State, in the Big Ten Championship and then play in the TCU game, I might've felt better. I don't feel good knowing that I wasn't able to go to war. Yeah, the money, NIL, that's cool, right? Or going to get the NFL money. That's cool. Money isn't everything. NIL is cool, I'm still going to be giving to the community probably more than ever. This one last ride. I really just came back for Michigan. The team, the team, the team. I'm ready to leave that legacy. Trying to tell you, it's going to be fun.

On the conversations he's had with his teammates

I talked to my teammates a lot, especially my o-linemen. Valiant, they created this NIL program called One More Year if anyone listening would like to donate and help bring my o-line back, we need them big hogs. If you want to, go right ahead. I talk to them a lot. It's like, listen, it's just one more year. Let's go finish what we started. Let's stick together because this team is something special. I talked to them and they kind of had the same thoughts as me, they might wake up one day and the NFL might be the best decision. Wake up another day, I gotta come back to Michigan, I've got more to prove. It's up to them. A couple of my o-linemen, I'm not sure what they're going to do. Best believe, hopefully, once they hear this and we can find out a way to give them a little bit of dough, they'll come back and be ready to pave the way and keep this thing pushing. I've been talking to them a lot.

On the one-two punch with Donovan Edwards

Super excited. It's just going to feel like an ever better backfield than it was last year. We're both more matured. Every team knows what we can do. We both have that homerun ability. It's going to be fun, it's going to be dangerous.

On speaking with the coaching staff

You have to do what's best for you but I would love to have you back, right? You have to do what's best for you. You've done enough here, you've already left a legacy. They were just trying to lead me in the right direction without telling me what to do. Coach Hart, sometimes he was like, you might want to go to the league. Even though deep down inside he was like, I really want you back. That might be the best decision for you depending on your draft grade and stuff like that. Those guys helped me out. Reached out to some other people and was connected. It was a big decision. After thinking about it and getting everyone's opinions, I had to think about what's best for Blake. This was best for Blake. This is what I live for. I live for going out on Saturdays and just giving it everything I have. Putting on a show for the fans, interacting with the community, being with the boys, being up on campus with my classmates. I love Michigan, man. I'm running it back.

On what he's looking to improve

Obviously, a better player, I'm going to read some books on leadership on how to become an even better leader so I can lead this team in the right direction. A better player, a better running back, all of my game I am going to work on, right? After getting this knee surgery and stuff, I'm going to work really hard on getting back to that elusiveness, turning nothing into something and breaking those tackles that I know I should break. There were some times last year where I was like, that was a shoestring. I can't get tackled by one person. That's my mindset. Really becoming more explosive and really just get back to myself, man. Working on my IQ of the game, learning from Coach Hart and other people. Really just trying to become a better overall player.

On which opponent has the worst breath

It has to be those Indiana boys from that one run. I got up on all three of them, might've been four. I was looking at all four of them and I got out of that run somehow. I could smell all four of them breaths.

On whether that run was a touchdown

That was a touchdown for sure. You know, we punched it in on the next play. It is what it is but I scored, man. I was across the line. All good.

On his favorite moment of 2022

My favorite moment was, honestly, watching from afar. I was in Cali, just got done with surgery. Watching my guys win the Big Ten championship. Back-to-back Big Ten's. You can't beat that. It was a joy to my heart watching them go out and dominate. That was one of my best experiences in all of the 2022 season just because it was important to me after a great season seeing them out there killing it. Didn't miss a beat. I loved it.

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