Michigan updates on Justice Haynes, Jordan Marshall, Ernest Hausmann, Kerry Coombs following Citrus Bowl selection

Michigan Wolverines football head coach Sherrone Moore met with the media over Zoom Sunday afternoon following his team’s selection for the Dec. 31 Citrus Bowl against Texas. The second-year head man provided injury updates on his two star running backs and discussed the hire of Kerry Coombs to replace J.B. Brown as special teams coordinator.

Michigan junior running back Justice Haynes underwent foot surgery in early November and missed the final four games of the regular season. Moore was asked if he’ll be available to play against the Longhorns but didn’t have a definitive answer.

“It’s something we’ll look at and we’ll see,” the Michigan coach said. “His progress is going really well, so we’ll get more of an answer and clarity as we go through this week.”

The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Haynes has rushed 121 times for 857 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.

Sophomore Jordan Marshall had a stellar season, too, stepping into a bigger role once Haynes went down. The 5-foot-11, 216-pound Cincinnati native put up 932 yards and 10 scores on 150 rush attempts. He suffered a shoulder injury Nov. 15 at Northwestern, missed the following game against Maryland and was limited in the regular-season finale versus Ohio State. In the 27-9 loss to the Buckeyes, Marshall rushed 7 times for 61 yards and caught 1 pass for 10 yards. He started but left the game in the first quarter before returning but being largely ineffective in the second half.

“Jordan will be great,” Moore said of the Michigan standout’s availability for the bowl game. “He fought through that. He had a shoulder that got dinged up in the game before, toughed through it, man, tried as much as he could. You wish he could’ve played the whole game, right, with 6 carries for 70-something yards. But really, he pushed as much as he could, and when he couldn’t, he couldn’t.

“But he’ll be ready for the bowl game, absolutely.”

Michigan senior linebacker Ernest Hausmann, one of six team captains and the team’s second-leading tackler with 68 stops, was missing due to undisclosed reasons in the final two outings, at Maryland and vs. Ohio State.

“Ernest is going through some things,” Moore said. “I don’t really want to talk on or speak on, just things from a personal standpoint. He’s also been dealing with a thumb [injury] that happened in the Northwestern game. So, just things that he’s been dealing with, and we’re just here to support him. That’s it.”

Moore said that Coombs will coach in the bowl game and is already at Michigan beginning his work, though his contract has yet to be finalized. Moore added that he isn’t expecting any further on-field coaching staff changes ahead of the 2026 season.

“Kerry is here, starting to work,” Moore said. “Legally, we’ll get all of that stuff binding, as far as the contract and all that, but he’s here.”

Coombs has been a football coach for 42 years and has expansive experience coaching not only special teams but other positions, and he’s been renowned for his high-level recruiting chops, too.

“He brings a lot of energy, excitement,” Moore said of the hire. “A veteran presence that’s done it at a high level — in the NFL and college, obviously, and then in high school. I think it’s awesome when you’ve brought somebody in that has high school experience. He’s an elite recruiter and developer of men. Very excited about the hire, and the connection has been built over time, and he’s going to do a great job for us.”

Michigan and Texas kick off at 3 p.m. ET on Dec. 31 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.