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
You need to login in order to vote
You must belogged in to post a comment.