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Justice Haynes explains why he transferred to Michigan from Alabama

Anthony Broomeby:Anthony Broome•03/26/25•

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Justice Haynes
Alabama running back Justice Haynes, who has committed out of the transfer portal, rushed four times against Michigan Wolverines football in the Rose Bowl. (Photo by Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)

ANN ARBOR – The Michigan Wolverines landed one of the biggest prizes in the transfer portal when they grabbed running back Justice Haynes from Alabama, adding him to a backfield stable with Jordan Marshall.

Haynes spoke to the Michigan media about his decision, the process that led him to Ann Arbor and the early returns from his time with the program.

“I’m a big faith person,” Haynes said on Wednesday afternoon. “I felt like God was calling me in a different direction in my life, and so I’m just relying on His plan that He had for me. I’m thankful for my time at Alabama. It was an amazing two-and-a-half years I had there, being coached by Coach Saban, being coached by Coach DeBoer. Great people, great men. 

“But Michigan, I fell in love with the place. I knew [running backs coach Tony Alford] from when I was getting recruited from Ohio State. I came up here, and this is the place I knew I wanted to be as soon as I got here.”

Haynes is coming off a solid 2024 season, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. He rushed a total of 79 times for 448 yards and 7 touchdowns, splitting time with teammate Jamarion Miller.

Haynes’ adjustment to the program has been seamless with the Wolverines to this point, due in large part to his running back in the Michigan backfield and pre-existing relationship with Alford from the high school recruiting process.

“I remember when I came up here [Alford] connected with me with Jordan Marshall,” Haynes said. “J. Marsh has been great. That’s like a little brother to me. I’m older than him, but he’s been great. The whole running back room as a whole, I’m just very thankful and blessed the way that they’ve accepted me, brought me in, been there for me. I’m very thankful to them boys, and I love them boys. I’ll do anything for them boys.”

Michigan and Alabama are two of college football’s blue blood programs, and Haynes sees a throughline between how the two programs operate, especially from a physicality perspective.

“I feel like it’s very similar program,” Haynes said. “Every program has its differences and the different ways they go about things. But very successful programs like Michigan, like Alabama, they all have a secret formula, a secret sauce that they all use. They put their own little taste on it, you know. And that’s what Michigan has here.

“Very regimented physicality. We’re going to work. Blue collar. We’re going to go out and ball. That’s what we do.”

Haynes saw Michigan as a true freshman when the two matched up in the Rose Bowl semifinal of the College Football Playoff in 2023, a 27-20 U-M victory in overtime.

 ”The d-line was special,” Haynes said. “I remember we were getting ready for them. Mason [Graham], Kenneth [Grant], [Derrick Moore and Josaiah Stewart], all those boys that were out there playing. Like that was a special D-line group as we saw in that game.

“But that whole defense was special. They had a special team. You could tell that they play physical brand of football and that they’re all about the brotherhood and you could tell that they really went out there and played for each other.”

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