Michigan Football Spring Review: Running Backs

Spring practice is over, which means football season is inching closer, even if it feels a long ways off. We're taking a look at each position group based on what we've heard this spring. Today we continue with the running backs.

The Players

• Senior Karan Higdon: Higdon will be the bell cow back of the bunch. He showed flashes of dominance last season after taking the starting job, but still has something to prove against more challenging opponents. He's become more of a fan favorite after the Amazon series "All Or Nothing" which showed him and his daughter a number of times, and a strong senior season should land Higdon in the NFL. He is a candidate and probable favorite to be named the team's offensive captain.

• Junior Chris Evans: Evans slipped a little bit last season after a huge freshman season, but finished strong. He's a nice complement to Higdon's style of running. He can catch the ball out the backfield, has elite speed and should help U-M have a solid one-two punch out of the backfield.

• Redshirt sophomore Kareem Walker: Nobody really seems to know where Walker stands with the coaching staff. He has talent — and got to show it a little bit in 2017 — but he always seems to find himself buried on the depth chart one way or another. This year needs to be a big season for him or he could find himself passed up by incoming freshmen.

• Sophomore O'Maury Samuels: After getting a few carries in 2017, Samuels is in line for a bigger role in 2018. It's unclear how much larger of a role, but his performance in fall camp could go a long way in determining that. Running backs frequently get injured and U-M likes to deploy three backs anyways, so the opportunity is there for the taking.

• Redshirt freshman Kurt Taylor: Taylor will likely continue to serve as a depth guy in the backfield. There's been no indication that he can become a major contributor yet, but he's still very young. Walk-on junior Tru Wilson has had a good spring as well and could get an occasional carry.

• Sophomore fullback Ben Mason: Mason got hurt and missed most of the spring, but he should be ready to go in the fall. He's a head smasher and should be a major contributor this fall. He's one of Jim Harbaugh's favorite players and it's easy to see why.

• Fifth-year senior fullback Jared Wangler: Needing fullback depth, Wangler will serve as either the No. 2 or 3 guy behind Mason and potentially incoming freshman Ben VanSumeren. Keep an eye out for sophomore walk-on Matt Brown too, he had a nice spring.

Quotes On/From The Running Backs

• “Coaching guys like [senior] Karan [Higdon] and [junior] Chris [Evans], [sophomore fullback] Ben [Mason], [sophomore] O’Maury [Samuels], [redshirt sophomore] Kareem [Walker], [redshirt freshman] Kurt [Taylor] and all those guys, they want to be really, really great. As a coach, that makes your job so much more fun and interesting and it challenges you because they’re always looking for more. They want stuff to study, drills, they’re always looking to be a sponge and consume more.” — Michigan running backs coach Jay Harbaugh

• “They’re doing a great job, which is exactly what you’d expect from them. They’ve taken all the parts of their game that needed detail or polish and they’re doing that. Every day it’s one less mistake and really turning in a great spring so far.” — Jay Harbaugh on Higdon and Evans

• “He’s coming along. Thus far, I would say we’re all pretty happy with his performance this spring. He’s competing, he’s doing the best he can and that’s pretty much all we’re looking for, is each guy’s individual best.” — Jay Harbaugh on Kareem Walker

• “[Samuels] is coming along really nicely. He’s a really conscientious kid, he tries to do everything exactly right. If he doesn’t get it right, he’ll figure out what exactly went wrong and how to fix it and does a great job fixing it the next time out.” — Jay Harbaugh on O'Maury Samuels

• “Pass protection, pass protection, pass protection, pass protection and pass protection [are the main things we’re working on]. Coach [Jim] Harbaugh didn’t necessarily point it out to me, but I knew based on past opportunities and his tendencies that he didn’t really trust me out there last year to do it. I know what I need to do to get it down — it’s about repetition.” — Chris Evans

• “We compete a lot, and compete at a high level against each other, but we’ve been able to push and learn from each other. We keep each other going, keep each other motivated and make sure whoever is on the field at whatever time will succeed.” — Karan Higdon on Chris Evans

• "Senior running back Karan Higdon has been dubbed 'The Man' by one onlooker. He's enjoyed a very big spring. He's No. 1, junior Chris Evans No. 2 and sophomore O'Maury Samuels showed enough to strengthen his case, although the No. 3 spot will remain up for grabs into fall camp. Samuels is also getting consideration as a kick returner." — ITF Extra from April 16th