Mike Hart on Michigan short-yardage running: 'I'm not looking for the next Hassan Haskins'

The Michigan Wolverines football backfield looks different than it did a year ago, after Hassan Haskins left for the NFL and is now a Tennessee Titan. It’s still a stellar group, led by junior Blake Corum, who rushed for 952 yards and 11 scores last season, and sophomore Donovan Edwards, who flashed his playmaking ability in limited time in 2021.

The big question from outsiders all offseason long was how Michigan would replace Haskins’ power running style. In 2021, Haskins led all FBS backs with 103 first downs and churned out 825 of his 1,327 yards after contact. He added a program single-season record 20 rushing scores.

With Haskins, nicknamed ‘H2,’ in the game, 3rd-and-2 situations were even coined ‘3rd and H2.’ There was hardly ever a doubt that he’d pick up the tough yardage when Michigan most needed it.

Michigan running backs coach and run game coordinator Mike Hart isn’t looking to replace Haskins, though. The Wolverines just need Corum, Edwards and others to be productive in their own unique way.

“Every back is different,” Hart explained Wednesday. “Hassan Haskins was a special player. On 3rd and 1, there aren’t many guys like him, I don’t care how long you coach for, not many can do what he did on 3rd and 1.

“As good coaches, we take advantage of whatever strengths our players have. So, there’s not a replacement, there’s not a player I’m looking at and saying, ‘He’s the next Hassan.’ Me personally, I’m like, I’m going to make Blake Corum the best Blake Corum he can be, Donovan Edwards the best Donovan Edwards he can be, [freshman] CJ Stokes the best CJ Stokes he can be. So on and so on.

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The Michigan run game won’t look the same as last season, but the Wolverines can still be productive with what they have, Hart explained.

“That’s how you have success in the long run, using guys’ strengths to their advantage,” the Michigan assistant continued. “No, I’m not looking for the next Hassan Haskins; I’m not looking for a 230-pound guy. No, to me, it’s, what are their strengths? And let’s figure it out from there.”

At 5-8, 210 pounds, Corum’s strengths are to hit the edges, with 534 of his 952 yards from last season coming outside of the tackles according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). But he can still run it to the inside, too, and he’s taken it as a personal challenge to do so, especially in short-yardage situations.

“It’s really like a mindset, at the end of the day,” Corum said. “People were like, ‘Dang, who’s going to be the short-yardage back?’ That’s why we lift weights, that’s why we put the weight on the rack.

“So we just continue to play football, prepare. We’ve been playing football for a long time, so it’s nothing new. So, just go out there, ball out, be confident and everything else will handle itself.”

Last week, Michigan’s top 2 rushers, Corum (76) and Edwards (64), combined for 140 yards, 78 of which came after contact, per PFF. There will be tougher opponents ahead, but Hart — citing himself as an example — believes backs of all sizes can pack enough punch.

“Everyone’s like, ‘He has to be big to be a great short-yardage back.’ I’m like, that’s not the truth at all,” Hart said. “I thought I was a pretty good short-yardage back, and I was 205 pounds or 200 pounds.

“To me, it just comes down to contact balance, being able to keep your legs moving, how’s your pad level? And then I think you have to be able to make people miss in short areas.

“To me, I don’t look at a weight, I don’t look at those things. A big back can be 195 pounds. It’s about how you run, what your mentality is at the end of the day. Just like a scatback can be 225 pounds, if they catch the ball and run great routes. But at the end of the day, you have to be great with your contact balance to be a really good short-yardage runner, and again, there aren’t many Hassan Haskinses out there who can do what he did last year. We’re not concerned about that.”

Kalel Mullings back to Michigan defense full time, but door not completely shut on running back experiment

Michigan brought over junior linebacker Kalel Mullings to the offensive side of the ball. He split time in spring and the beginning of fall camp, but the Wolverines, who’ve seen Stokes emerge, have him back in a defensive-only role at the moment.

Hart doesn’t want to completely shut the door on the possibility of Mullings returning to offense, but for now he has all he needs.

“Kalel’s a great player,” the Michigan assistant said. “You may see him at running back at some point this year. I don’t know. He’s a strong runner. He’s bigger, but he’s also fast. He’s a great athlete. As coaches, you try to mix and move guys to see who can do what best. That’s how we’ll use him.

“He might play running back this year. Hopefully. Ask [head] Coach [Jim] Harbaugh. I’m trying to get him back. I’m just joking. He’s really good, though. We are strong in our room, and we don’t have to have him, with what we saw during camp, but he’s a special player.”