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| Justice Hayes |
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 190 lbs.
High school: Grand Blanc (MI) Grand Blanc
Position: Running back
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #5
Last year: I ranked Hayes #59 and said he would be a backup running back. He had 18 carries for 83 yards and 1 touchdown.
Hayes, a scatback type, was stuck behind Vincent Smith for that role last year. There was never a strong need to use Hayes, since Smith stayed healthy. Hayes ended up having decent games against overmatched Massachusetts and Illinois teams, totaling 13 carries for 85 yards and 1 touchdown in those games. Unfortunately, his other five carries - against Iowa, Northwestern, and South Carolina - netted him -2 yards. He had yet another chance to impress in the spring game, but he was ineffectual.
The depth chart hasn't cleared up much for Hayes this year. With Smith gone the screens and draws might go to sophomore Dennis Norfleet instead. Hayes clearly seems to be behind Thomas Rawls in the coaches' eyes, and the top two tailbacks could very well be fifth year senior Fitzgerald Toussaint and freshman Derrick Green. I don't think Hayes has a shot at cracking the top two, so he will probably be used scarcely once again in 2013 unless there are injuries. There will be some carries in garbage time, and the coaches may trust him to block more than Norfleet, but there's considerable depth at the running back position this year.
Prediction: Backup running back; 15 carries for 60 yards
IIRC it has been suggested here and elsewhere that Hayes might make a good slot receiver. With the RB position apparently well-stocked, why not make him something approximating Gallon? Any thoughts on that?
ReplyDeleteBeat me to it, especially with the lack of slot receivers this year (Jeremy Jackson is should NOT be playing in the slot) I don't see why the coaches try Hayes out there.
DeleteWell, I think Gallon's a much better athlete. I don't think there's much of a chance that Hayes turns into a Gallon-like player. I do think he could play in the slot if necessary, but Michigan is thin on viable third down-type backs if they don't believe in Norfleet. I really like Norfleet's abilities with the ball in his hands, but he's probably not much of a blocker at his size. If you don't use Norfleet in those situations and you move Hayes to slot receiver, who becomes your third down back?
DeleteHayes is a guy I wouldn't be surprised to see leaving the team and transferring, unless he can carve out another position for himself (slot receiver, DB, KR). It doesn't seem likely that he'll ever be higher than fourth on the depth chart at RB, unless we have an Iowa-like string of injuries.
ReplyDeleteI agree that he'll probably be a career backup if he stays. Whether he transfers or not is a different story. Sometimes kids stay and get their degree; sometimes they transfer to the MAC or Ferris State; sometimes they quit football altogether.
DeleteThunder, you're a coach ... you must see kids come up the ranks and get the point where their skill doesn't match the competition, and they know they've reached their limit. What's it like for players when that moment arrives? What do you say to such kids?
DeleteJust by reading the trend of the comments I am going to predict that Justice Hayes is the breakout offensive player of the year. You folks heard it first.
ReplyDeleteWill from South Bend.
Magnus just out of curiousity, why do you think Hayes was ranked so highly coming out of high school? It seems like you've never been a huge advocate for his skill set, so what do you think the scouts saw that you didn't see?
ReplyDeleteScouts saw track speed. They failed to notice Hayes gets knocked over by a stiff breeze.
DeleteIs it unreasonable to expect Justice Hayes to step in and fill Vincent Smith's old role?
ReplyDeleteSure, he's not as good of a pass blocker as Smith, but he's got much better size, is as fast or faster, and based on what I've read has the ability to catch passes out of the backfield. He may not be a star or even a starter at Michigan, but I don't see why he can't be a solid contributor as a 3rd-down back type.
Thomas Rawls has had ample chances to impress and hasn't, Dennis Norfleet seems unlikely to be a regular contributor at RB due to his size (but then again, Smith managed pretty well), Drake Johnson is an unknown, and De'Veon Smith will probably red shirt. Rawls will probably start the season as the third guy behind Fitzgerald Toussaint and Derrick Green, but if he's as mediocre as he's been in the past then I could see Hayes passing him up by mid-season.
Well, both Hayes and Rawls had their chance to make a splash last year, but neither did. Rawls may have a year on Hayes, but Hayes has a redshirt year and a year on the field, which is almost always enough for a running back who's going to be any good at all. I think it's fair to say that both of these guys have reached their ceiling. As far as a third down back, I think the hope is that guys like Green and Smith will be every down backs, and that we won't need a role like Smith's as much any more.
DeleteThe way I think of this list is "how bad would it hurt the 2013 team if he got injured for the rest of the year?" For Hayes, the answer is: not at all.
ReplyDelete