Name: Blake Corum
Height: 5’8″
Weight: 213 lbs.
High school: Baltimore (MD) St. Frances
Position: Running back
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #2
Last year: I ranked Corum #3 and said he would be a starting running back with 200 carries for 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns (LINK). He ran 247 times for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns, adding 11 catches for 80 yards and 1 touchdown.
TTB Rating: 83
Corum had an outstanding season in 2022 and was a legitimate Heisman contender going into the home stretch. After a light load in the first few games against cupcakes (12 carries, 71 yards, and 5 TDs vs. UConn alone), he rang up a string of eight 100+ yard games, culminating with 18 carries for 108 yards against Illinois through less than two quarters . . . plus a knee injury. Along the way, he racked up 30, 29, 25, 28, 33, 20, and 28 carries during that stretch, and he was on pace for 36+ carries against the Illini before he was hurt.
After looking lightning fast in 2021, Corum put on some weight and seemed to lose some of that burst, but the burst turned into strength and agility. He made some ridiculous cuts and was very reliable on short yardage. He ran for a career-high 243 yards against Maryland, torched Penn State for 166 yards, and destroyed Michigan State with 177 yards on the ground. It was one of the best stretches of running we have seen from a Michigan back.
This season I'm moving Corum down a little bit because of that roster makeup. First and foremost, we now know that Donovan Edwards is a suitable replacement for Corum and maybe even offers more in the passing game. Second, Michigan now has a larger array of backup running backs. Whereas in 2022 it was either Corum or Edwards or . . . yikes, now the team has Kalel Mullings looking like the #3 running back, along with a seemingly tight battle between C.J. Stokes and Benjamin Hall to be the next guy on the field. Last year's Illinois game saw a freshman Stokes and walk-on Isaiah Gash (now medically retired) in the game at key points, and it was a nail-biter of a game. This doesn't diminish Corum's greatness, but it does soften the blow if he's unavailable again. I also think Michigan will rely on him a little less in order to keep him fresh through the end of the year. The days of 30 carries just for fun are probably over, and perhaps that type of workload will only occur if Michigan really needs him in a tight game.
Prediction: Starting running back; 220 carries for 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns
Yes! It's time for load management. Let Edwards and Corum be a one two punch and don't go much past 20 touches until you need to. The downside is that you keep Corum's stats from being Heisman worthy but that's a small price for having him healthy against PSU and OSU. Fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteSounds to me like Ben Hall might be coming as RB3. That's a best case scenario given limited ceiling on Mullings and so-so freshman year from Stokes. Regardless, like Thunder said we've got a plenty of options at RB behind the two stars.
Time to sit back and watch the best one two punch since...well Haskins/Corum was pretty good, so was Haskins/Charbonnet, and well Edwards and Corum are really dang good and really fun too. Our coaches are lucky and
I think the latest comments from JH sound like Mullings is RB3. Not sure why you think his ceiling is limited more than others, I think his ceiling is decent for a power back. He has looked decent but inconsistent but that's not surprising given the position switch. Besides the obvious fumble, the most disappointing pack has been his lack of power despite his size (maybe because he is taller) but that can be improved.
DeleteIn terms of what we've seen to date, Hall > Stokes > Mullings. No reason to doubt my own eyes.
Delete@Kurt
DeleteHe's a senior converted LB averaging 2.2 ypc.
I think he'll have a role and Harbaugh is going to be respectful.
But ultimately we need to find a couple of "starters" for 2024.
I have my own doubts about Mullings, but the 2.2 YPC thing is misleading. He had 14 carries last year, all of which came in the final few weeks of the season. 9 of those 14 carries took place in the redzone (a.k.a. near the goal line), and 3 resulted in touchdowns. Ben Mason and Khalid Hill both had miserable YPC, too, but for somewhat similar reasons. I think we can all agree that Mullings is more athletic than Mason (a DL by the end of his career) and Hill (a converted TE).
DeleteI'm not saying Mullings is going to light the world on fire, but we should be reasonable about expectations. If he's given the chance to run the ball on standard downs (1st-and-10, 2nd-and-7, etc.), he's probably going to do better than 2.2 YPC.
Agree Thunder. The 2.2 YPC probably doesn't mean much especially for a guy mostly used on short yardage. Absolutely would be higher on standard downs. My speculation is that it would be substantially higher. Behind this OL he could probably do very well. If given enough of those carries he could easily be north of 6 ypc through the first part of the season.
DeleteProbably the bigger indicator that comes out of the 2.2 ypc is just that the coaches have faced RB depth questions since 2020 and all they've used Mullings for is a handful of short-yardage carries. Yes - there were also LB depth issues that he helped with - but questions about his potential at LB have also been present for a couple years. It's not like we are talking about a big time recruit or elite LB who was held back from his potential at RB.
Ben Mason and Khalid Hill also could have had bigger YPC if used as RBs on 1st and 10 but they weren't used that way for a reason.
I think Mullings could have been a good fullback if he got moved a couple years ago but as a senior I don't see him having the upside at RB. The comp I think of is Wyatt Shallman.
I don't necessarily agree that he's a better athlete than Mason - a 5th round pick and fringe NFL player - albeit one that just got waived. Certainly not if we're accounting for size.
Ideally at RB you've got some standout skill that lets you make plays and grind extra yards. Mullings is a good athlete with good size and he can do some things at the position, but it's hard to see him being substantially better than Hall/Stokes enough to set aside the developmental benefit of giving playing time to the younger guys.
Misleading data is a favorite for some
ReplyDeleteWould you consider this to be an insulting statement or nah? Just curious.
DeleteIf you read the post you'll note the 2.2 ypc is indicative of something - the way that the senior has been used to date.
Eh, it would depend on the sensitivity of the user
Delete