Saturday, June 25, 2022

2022 Season Countdown: #83 C.J. Stokes

 

C.J. Stokes (image via SI)

Name: C.J. Stokes
Height:
5'11"
Weight:
190 lbs.
High school:
Columbia (SC) Hammond
Position:
Running back
Class:
Freshman
Jersey number:
N/A
Last year:
Stokes was a senior in high school (LINK).
TTB Rating:
59 71

Michigan beat out Louisville, Minnesota, Missouri, Penn State, and South Carolina for South Carolina native C.J. Stokes. Stokes ended up ranked as a 3-star, the #63 running back, and #798 overall. Playing in a small school league, he dusted the competition on his way to 1,000+ yards in each of his final three seasons and a 13-0 record as a senior.

I have no real reason to distrust Michigan's running back evaluations. Jim Harbaugh has a track record of production there, even with guys whose talent I didn't love, such as Karan Higdon and De'Veon Smith. I think Stokes can be a solid college running back. He's built low to the ground, has some decent agility, and seems to have a good, hard-nosed attitude. Sometimes he seems a little slow to find holes and accelerate through them, and his top-end speed is a little questionable. But Hassan Haskins had some of the same issues, and he turned out just fine. Even so, Michigan has a great 1-2 punch at running back with Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, and the big back role seems to be a battle between Tavierre Dunlap and Kalel Mullings. Add in walk-on Leon Franklin, who got a decent number of carries last year, and Stokes is going to be fighting for scraps or redshirting.

Prediction: Redshirt

3 comments:

  1. If Minnesota wanted hin, he's good .

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  2. Yeah, he's like Hassan Haskins, with possibly just a little tad more last gear finishing speed.

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  3. I almost never say this about a rb , but I think stokes is probably underrated. I think he'll be the #3 RB and will get some fairly meaningful snaps

    ReplyDelete