Michigan HC Sherrone Moore makes Heisman case for Justice Haynes: 'He's a beast'

Michigan Wolverines junior running back Justice Haynes has been the gift that keeps on giving, five games into his time in Ann Arbor.

Haynes, who transferred in from Alabama and was On3’s No. 3 running back in the portal, is the first player in program history with 100-plus yard performances in his first five games wearing the uniform. So far this season, he has 654 yards and 8 touchdowns on 85 attempts, averaging 7.7 yards per run.

The nation’s fourth-leading rusher is also tied for fourth in touchdowns. Despite that, he is still tied with freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood at +5000 to win the Heisman Trophy, according to BetMGM.

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore thinks he has entered the conversation with his start to the season.

“Animal,” Moore exclaimed during his Monday press conference. “He should be up for the Heisman. This dude is what you saw on film: an explosive player. Because I remember we were watching him, and I think it was… I can’t remember what the team was, but he ran over somebody, and he took it like another 60 yards. And then I think he had the most explosive runs on their team. So yeah, I saw it. I knew it.

“[Running backs coach Tony Alford] had a relationship with him. He called as soon as he got in the portal. The first person he called was Tony. What you saw even more is when he got here in the spring [is that] he never got caught ever. I’m glad he’s on our team because he never got caught whenever he had those explosive runs. He’s just consistent. He works his tail off. He’s a great human being. He’s becoming a leader in the right ways. So yeah, I’m glad we got just his hands on our team.”

Should Haynes continue his current trajectory, the Michigan tailback could finish somewhere around 1,600 yards and 19 touchdowns this season. That would be a top 10 single-season mark in program history, pushing Chris Perry’s 1,674-yard mark in the No. 5 spot all-time.

Moore, who coordinated the Michigan offense from 2021-23, says he sees some comparisons between Haynes and Blake Corum‘s 2022 season, where he ran for 1,463 yards in 12 games and would have been a Heisman finalist had he not suffered a season-ending knee injury the week before Ohio State.

“It seems like it’s like [2022] when Blake would get the ball, and all of a sudden he’d be gone,” Moore said. “He’s got a little bit of that in him. He’s got a little bit of [former Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray] when I played with him. Maybe not as shaky, but the speed and just a long-stride ability. But he’s strong. He’s physical. He gets those extra yards he needs, and obviously super explosive.

“I think just the way he carries himself and what he does and how he attacks the weight room, how he attacks his recovery, everything he does off the field is awesome. And he just continues to get better.”

Senior tight end and captain Marlin Klein has seen plenty of Haynes’ big runs during the offseason and in game action this year, and says his big-play ability can be a lift when Michigan’s offense struggles.

“Big plays, whether it’s in the run game, the passing game, it gives the entire team a spark,” Klein said Monday. “Justice being an explosive player like that, we’ve been seeing it for the past five weeks now. It’s just super helpful to our team.

“There might be some down moments where [we have a few] three and outs, and then he comes out there and sparks one for 70 yards. That just changes the game completely.”

The production has been impressive, but the way Haynes prepares off the field has been impressive to his Michigan teammates, too.

“He’s somebody who takes care of his body probably more than anybody else,” Klein said. “Every time you see him, you see him with an iPad in his hands and studying the opponent, watching himself and watching others. And he continues to grow every single day, and is really trying to be the best version of himself each single day.”

Wide receiver Donaven McCulley has made plays for the Michigan passing game, but appreciates the opportunity to block for a guy who has proven to be one of the best backs in the country.

 ”I love blocking for Justice,” McCulley said. “Both Justice and Jordan. You have to block as a receiver, so when you block and they take the ball for 50-60 yards… I can’t even ask for anything better than that as a receiver.”