Kalel Mullings weighs in on Michigan RBs, including Jordan Marshall, entering opener

ANN ARBOR – Michigan Wolverines running back Kalel Mullings will be one of the key figures on the offensive side of the ball this season in a backfield tandem with Donovan Edwards. Gone is a program stalwart in Blake Corum, but the fifth-year rusher thinks the Wolverines have everything they need to step it up.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday night from Schembechler Hall, Mullings expects a ton from the potentially deep running back room.

“All the backs in the room are dynamic backs and all of us are able to carry the rock on the ground and also catch the ball as well,” Mullings said. “Mix that in with the different build of guys in the room. Coming from being a defensive player, it’s hard to keep up with different guys that have different skill sets that do different stuff or may do the same thing just a little bit differently.

“Because of that, I believe just like those other guys that we will have a lot of success running the ball and in the air as well.”

Mullings is in his second full season at running back at Michigan after starting his career at linebacker. Last year, he had 36 carries for 222 yards and a touchdown. Now he’s comfortable and ready for more.

“I think the biggest thing for me has just been comfortability,” Mullings said. ” When you take three years off of doing something, it’s kind of hard to get comfortable. But learning from Blake last year and continuing to learn from Dono last year and this year, it’s helped me a lot and has helped me get comfortable and find my game and how I always play running back again.

“I feel like that’s the biggest thing so far is just really getting comfortable to playing the position and then adjusting to how the position is played in college. I feel like I’ve taken those two steps this year, so I’m excited.”

Along with Edwards and Mullings, sophomore Benjamin Hall and freshman Jordan Marshall project to get a handful of carries in the Michigan rotation. Marshall entered the program officially this summer and has impressed his peers.

“I’d say the biggest thing is just his ability to just take everything in since he’s walked through the door,” Mullings said. “He’s been like a sponge, just soaking up all the all the information around him from the coaches, from us as older guys, from everyone else in the room, and just being able to soak all that stuff in and apply it on the field as a young guy. That’s huge and that’s a huge part of the college adjustment.

“He’s been doing a tremendous job at that.”

Michigan’s first game week under Moore

Michigan’s Saturday night game against Fresno State is the first full-fledged test for Sherrone Moore as head coach, and the game prep so far this week has gone well, per Mullings. U-M’s leader has taken to the role and has a presence among each position group.

“Coach Moore is out there every day with so much energy,” Mullings said. “He’s so attentive, so focused on each and each and every position group on the field, offense, defense, special teams. And he’s always giving out knowledge, always helping us in different ways. And it’s like, as camp goes on and things get longer, days get longer, having a coach that’s always bringing that energy and is always going to come out and get guys going is huge. We all appreciate it, and it’s a huge reason why we have gotten to the point we’ve gotten to.”

Tuesday was a scorcher in Ann Arbor with temperatures in the 90s, but it was another productive day for the Michigan offense and its first week of game prep under Moore.

“It’s been going great. Today was a hot one, but we got after it and we fought through the heat. And it was a great day,” Mullings said. “Today was a great practice. Yesterday was a great practice and, last week we’ve, been going good. So, just continuing to ride our momentum throughout the end of fall camp into this week and using this week to build momentum and continue that momentum on is gonna be huge for us.

“Everyone in this building is excited to get to Saturday and have fun and hit somebody else. Hit somebody that doesn’t play for Michigan.”