Monday Musings: Is Kalel Mullings Michigan football’s near future at running back?

At the beginning of the season, many of us debated who Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh (and running backs coach Mike Hart, of course) would peg as the No. 3 running back behind Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. Some had one of the freshmen — Benjamin Hall was a popular pick given his big spring — others thought sophomore CJ Stokes might be the guy. 

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A few had Kalel Mullings, but mainly as a “default” pick. The senior had shown some ability last year, but not enough to believe he could really shine at running back in the Big Ten after spending the first few years of his career at linebacker.

He’s proven many wrong. In fact, we’d go so far as to say he’s been one of the Michigan offense’s big surprises through six weeks, a big back with speed. He’s opened eyes with his play, to the point that Harbaugh compared him to Stanford’s Toby Gerhart from back in the day. He’s hitting holes hard and fast and proving tough to bring down, and it’s led some to believe he could have a huge role next year — us included. 

If anybody still has questions about Mullings as a running back, this should help ease your anxiety.

He shows patience, vision, cutting ability, and quickness through the hole.

Oh, and he’s 6’2” 240#. pic.twitter.com/5rUpLkmWgn

— Due# (@JDue51) October 8, 2023

And for good measure, he’s been fantastic in pass protection, too … which, of course, you’d expect of a Mike Hart-coached back. We heard the pads collide from behind the glass at Huntington Bank Stadium Saturday when he took on a blitzer on a J.J. McCarthy to Colston Loveland touchdown, and it was even louder on film. 

This is pretty play action.
Minnesota sends 7.

Mullings absolutely stands up the linebacker. You can hear the hit in the broadcast.
JJ finds Colson Loveland on a beautiful set up move.
38-10 Michigan pic.twitter.com/ZlNLKKYmmV

— Due# (@JDue51) October 8, 2023

Our recruiting analyst, EJ Holland, told us a few years ago Mullings had impressed him when he saw him playing running back. It turns out the Michigan coaches noticed it, too. We asked Harbaugh specifically if they’d seen the film of the “other side of the ball” when they were recruiting him as a linebacker.

“We did,” the Michigan coach said. “But he was playing really well at linebacker, and we started having some conversations with especially Dale Mullings, Kalel’s dad. We started talking about it … he reminded me of Kalel, his ability to be a running back, and what I thought of that. I went back and watched the tape again, some of the high school clips and said, ‘yeah. I agree with you, Dale.’

“I talked about the parents and how good they are. Really, they know their sons the best. They’ve been watching them for 18 years and we get valuable input from them when they come to practice. They’re practically like a video camera, watching their own son at the practice. And we all work better, right, when there’s a video camera on us, even if there wasn’t any tape in the video camera … I know it’s different now, it’s a chip — but we’d all work a little harder, right, if we knew somebody was watching? Especially when a parent’s there watching. It’s like a human video camera on them.”

Mullings, in fact, has been Michigan’s second best runner this year behind Corum. That’s no knock on Edwards, who has been slower to get going between the tackles but contributed plenty there and as a pass catcher. But in a meritocracy, which is what Harbaugh has often referred to his team as, guys are going to play if they earn it. 

Mullings has definitely done that, and he’s only going to get better. He’s getting his instincts back working with the running backs full time, and you can tell he’s getting more and more comfortable. It wouldn’t stun to see both Mullings and Edwards back next year, in fact, given the Champions Circle collective’s commitment to the One More Year campaign — Harbaugh would probably welcome it and thank Mullings’ father all over again.

“I encourage that [feedback], encourage also the coaching that parents give their kids,” Harbaugh said. “So … long story short there, that was something that was also driven by coach Dale Mullings. We’re very appreciative of that observation.”