Michigan sophomore running back Zach Charbonnet had a very good freshman season by most standards, but he'd be the first to admit it could have been even better. A lingering knee injury limited him from being even better — this after a season in which he scored 11 touchdowns and 746 yards — but now he's healthy and ready to build on last year's success.
Charbonnet said Tuesday that quarantine was good in one respect, allowing him to focus on his body and his workouts.
“I’d say that was a big thing for me to battle with,” Charbonnet said. “In terms of now, being able to have this whole offseason to actually work on my body, my speed, my strength, I think it’s just given me a little bit of an advantage to overall make me a better football player by having this offseason healthy.”
It was clear to most who watched him last season that his ability to make people miss had been compromised a bit by his gimpy knee, and that's been a point of emphasis in the offseason. Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis wants to see seven-yard runs become 40-plus with a bit more wiggle against a safety, and Charbonnet has that ability.
With his knee scope a year and a half behind him, he's ready to show it.
“There was room for a lot of improvement,” Charbonnet admitted. “One of my things I need to keep working on is just trusting my reads, my holes ... stuff like that, and just pass pro — keeping my eyes disciplined, keeping my eyes to see where the blitzes are coming from."
Also "making that second-level defender miss," he added. He's confident the newly revamped offensive line will give him room to get there, and then it's up to him.
"A lot of these guys like [redshirt junior guard Andrew] Stueber,it's just been amazing seeing these guys and being able to run behind them. I'm just excited for them just to be able to do what they've done in this offseason and camp," he said.
He's also leaned on fifth-year senior Chris Evans, who's been a mentor to him in his return, while becoming even tighter with teammate and running back Hassan Haskins.
Freshman Blake Corum, too, has been outstanding,
"Blake has come in and made a great impression," he added. "...It's competitive, but we still have each other's backs."
There are only so many carries to go around, but he's confident he'll get his. In the end, he said, the main thing is to win.
“Whatever role the coaches bring, I’m going to do the best I can at my job and execute," he said. "Obviously, every other running back feels the same way, too. Whoever’s in, we’re just going to cheer them on and execute whatever’s called.”
---
• Talk about this article inside The Fort
• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel
• Listen and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine
• Sign up for our newsletter, The Wolverine Now
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @Balas_Wolverine, @EJHolland_TW, @AustinFox42, @JB_ Wolverine, Clayton Sayfie and @DrewCHallett
• Like us on Facebook
