Tag: Karan Higdon

2015 Season Countdown: #85 Karan Higdon

Name: Karan Higdon
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 190 lbs.
High school: Sarasota (FL) Riverview
Position: Running back
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Higdon was a senior in high school. He was a 247 Composite 3-star, the #40 running back, and #478 overall.
TTB Rating: 73

Higdon was a late success story for the new coaching staff this winter. He had been a Hawkeye commit, but he was interested in Michigan for a while without reciprocation. Jim Harbaugh extended an offer just before National Signing Day, and Higdon fought through a snowstorm and some travel issues to make it to Ann Arbor. Leading up to NSD, it was a question of whether he would stick with Iowa or flip to Michigan, and obviously he sent his National Letter of Intent to the Wolverines. Higdon is a slightly undersized back who has good vision and runs tough, though he lacks great speed.

Michigan’s situation this year is an intriguing one. There are two very highly touted recruits (Derrick Green, Ty Isaac) with experience, last year’s leading rusher returns (De’Veon Smith), and Drake Johnson made a late-season push before tearing his ACL for a second time. Yet three of the four guys have been hampered by injuries at one point or another, none has been outstanding, and the job remains up for grabs. It would be a surprise if Higdon were to beat out all those guys, although it’s not impossible. It would probably be best for him to redshirt, let the situation in front of him play itself out, and then have an extra year to make an impact down the road.

Prediction: Redshirt

2015 Recruiting Grades: Offense

Zach Gentry (image via Maxpreps)

With the 2015 class about wrapped up, I’ll offer some final takeaways from the recruiting cycle. With something like this, it’s difficult to separate Brady Hoke’s recruiting efforts through early December from Jim Harbaugh’s efforts over the last five weeks of the cycle. So the grades and feedback I provide are geared toward the program’s job of recruiting, not necessarily a specific coach.

Starters are listed in italics.

QUARTERBACK
Lost from 2014: Russell Bellomy (transfer), Devin Gardner (graduation)
Commits: Zach Gentry, Alex Malzone
Grade: A-
Comments: Michigan needed to add talent and numbers to the quarterback position to engender competition, and they did that. Gentry (#8 pro-style quarterback, #175 overall) is the raw talent at 6’7″, 230 lbs. with a reported 4.6 forty and a strong arm. Malzone (#13 pro-style quarterback, #295 overall) is the local field general with good skills all around but nothing that really stands out. Other than getting a truly elite prospect, Michigan did about as well as they could. Toss in the possible arrival of Houston transfer John O’Korn, and all these guys won’t finish their careers at Michigan, but at least one should emerge looking good.

RUNNING BACK
Lost from 2014: Justice Hayes (transfer)
Commit: Karan Higdon
Grade: C
Comments: The unfortunate thing here is that Michigan had two top-150 running back talents committed at different times, and the Wolverines let both of them slip through their fingers. The first one, Damien Harris, ended up signing with Alabama. The second one, Mike Weber, was darn close to flipping from Ohio State to Michigan at the last minute, but he ultimately stuck with the Buckeyes around 10:30 a.m. because Higdon had committed to Michigan at 8:00 a.m. Michigan stole Higdon (#40 running back, #479 overall) himself at the last minute from Iowa, so there’s something to be said for getting someone on the board, at least. Still, this could have looked better.

WIDE RECEIVER
Lost from 2014: Devin Funchess (early NFL draft entrant)
Commits: Brian Cole, Grant Perry
Grade: B+
Comments: Michigan might have hit a home run with Cole (#5 athlete, #75 overall), who was a jack-of-all-trades player in high school and will have to learn the receiver position in college. Perry (#109 wide receiver, #864 overall) is a solid role player plucked from Northwestern at the last minute. Otherwise, both Hoke and Harbaugh swung and missed at the big-timers in the class.

TIGHT END
Lost from 2014: Keith Heitzman (transfer)
Commit: Tyrone Wheatley, Jr.
Grade: B
Comments: Michigan let Chris Clark slip through their fingers, although Clark was wishy-washy and seemed to be all over the place with his recruitment. The Wolverines may have dodged a bullet, because Wheatley – as the son of a coach on staff – might be less likely to flake out if things don’t go smoothly from day one. Wheatley (#12 tight end, #313 overall) has a fair amount of talent himself, although some think he’s better suited for defense. It would have been nice to get two tight ends with Heitzman transferring, A.J. Williams being a senior in 2015, and starter Jake Butt a junior who could possibly go pro if he stays healthy.

OFFENSIVE LINE
Lost from 2014: Kyle Bosch (transfer)
Commits: Grant Newsome, Jon Runyan Jr., Nolan Ulizio
Grade: B
Comments: The offensive line recently went from being “way too young” to being “maybe too old” now that four projected starters will be fifth-year guys (2) or fourth-year guys (2), joined by sophomore left tackle Mason Cole and redshirt junior utility man Erik Magnuson. With a couple backups looking stuck there for a reason, Michigan needed to bring in some fresh talent. Newsome (#22 offensive tackle, #235 overall) is a possible star, whereas Runyan (#122 offensive tackle) and Ulizio (#137 offensive tackle) look like they could be passable players in a few years. This probably isn’t the class that will turn around Michigan’s fortunes immediately, but they’re functional. Michigan essentially ignored a national prospect with high interest (USC-bound Chuma Edoga) and a local, guru-approved guy with high interest (Wisconsin-bound David Moorman), so hopefully they picked the right ones to pursue. If Newsome pans out like I think he should, he’ll make this class look pretty good.

Karan Higdon, Wolverine

Sarasota (FL) Riverview running back Karan Higdon (image via 247Sports.com)

Sarasota (FL) Riverview running back Karan Higdon committed to Michigan on National Signing Day after previously being committed to Iowa. He also had offers from Arizona, Arkansas, and Tennessee, among others, and he was committed to South Florida from January 2014 through October 2014.

Higdon is a 5’10”, 190 lb. back who claims a 4.5 forty.

RATINGS
ESPN: 3-star, 78 grade, #70 RB
Rivals: 3-star, #45 RB
Scout: 3-star, #84 RB
247 Sports: 4-star, 90 grade, #29 RB

Higdon was not on Michigan’s radar heavily until late in the process. Two highly touted running backs – Damien Harris and Michael Weber – had both decommitted from Michigan, and the Wolverines were uncertain in their pursuit of flipping Weber from Ohio State back to Michigan. Late in the process, they extended an offer to Hawkeye commit Higdon. He was offered on January 31, set up a flight for that afternoon, and took an official to Michigan that weekend. He intimated that he was fully committed to Iowa upon return, but that was either a smoke screen or he changed his mind over the last couple days. On Wednesday morning at 8:00 a.m., he announced that he would be signing with the Wolverines.

The first thing that sticks out about Higdon is his physicality. Despite being under 200 lbs., he packs a wallop when he runs and does not shy away from contact. He also churns his legs after contact, which helps him break tackles and fall forward. Higdon shows nice vision and cutback ability, and he has the ability to make jump cuts similar to Fitzgerald Toussaint. Higdon also shows patience waiting for the line’s blocks to develop, but he hits the hole hard when it opens.

The biggest concern I have with Higdon is his lack of top-end speed. Michigan has had success with backs like him before, like Michael Hart. But I keep waiting for Michigan to recruit a breakaway threat, and it has been a while since the Wolverines have had someone who could take it the distance on any given play. He also takes (and gives) a beating, so you wonder if his body is going to break down from so much punishment.

Ultimately, just like when Brady Hoke was the coach, I think a lot of the running backs in Michigan’s stable can be successful because of the way the Wolverines have recruited the offensive line. The development up front was not where it needed to be under the direction of Darrell Funk, but there was some improvement in 2014. There should be even more with a better offensive line coach, more consistent schemes, and more experience in 2015 and beyond. That bodes well for all of the running backs, including Higdon. He has a chance to be a solid running back for the Wolverines, but he’s probably not a superstar.

It looks as if Higdon will be the only running back in the 2015 class after Michael Weber went ahead and signed with Ohio State. Michigan will have several juniors at the position in 2015, plus redshirt sophomore Ty Isaac, and now Higdon as a true freshman. His contributions will probably not be needed this coming season, so he should be able to redshirt as long as the group remains mostly healthy. He is the first player to come to Michigan out of Riverview since offensive lineman David Baas in 2000.

TTB Rating: 73 (ratings explanation)