Michigan’s New Backfield: Buckle Up, Detroit

I grew up in a time when Michigan football meant one thing: you run the ball down someone’s throat until they either beg for mercy or pack up and go home. That was our DNA. That was our swagger. I remember watching backs like Tyrone Wheatley, Tim Biakabutuka, Anthony Thomas—guys who didn’t just hit the hole, they turned it into a crater.
You could almost hear Bo Schembechler yelling, “Just run it again!” from the heavens.

And now? I’m looking at this year’s Michigan backfield and thinking: oh boy, we might be getting back to that smash-mouth poetry I grew up on. Two names you need to remember—actually, scratch that, two names you’ll be yelling at your TV this fall: Jordan Marshall and Justice Haynes.

Marshall is the freshman who basically said, “Hey guys, I know I just got here, but how about I run for 100 yards in a bowl game and grab MVP honors while I’m at it?” Against an SEC defense, no less. The kid runs like he’s mad at the ground. Every step looks like it owes him money. He’s got that Corum-esque balance, a burst that makes linebackers look like they’re standing still, and enough physicality to remind us all that Michigan football doesn’t finesse you—it finishes you.

He’s only going to get stronger, faster, and smarter in Chip Lindsey’s offense. Which, by the way, if you’re not familiar with Lindsey—he’s the new offensive coordinator who likes balance, tempo, and creativity. Translation? He’s going to give Marshall the kind of runway you only see at Detroit Metro Airport.

Then there’s Haynes. The transfer from Alabama. The Tide couldn’t quite figure out what to do with him, but I can promise you this: Michigan will. Seven touchdowns and nearly 500 yards last season in a crowded backfield. You put him in maize and blue and give him 20 carries a game? That’s a whole different monster.

He’s powerful enough to run through arm tackles, shifty enough to make a safety look like he lost his car keys, and has soft hands in the passing game. And let’s be honest: stealing talent from the SEC and plugging it into the Big Ten feels like a cheat code. Haynes is walking into Ann Arbor with something to prove, and I can’t wait to watch him prove it.

Here’s the dream scenario: Marshall and Haynes both hit 1,000 yards this season. That hasn’t happened at Michigan since the mid-1970s. Think about that. Gerald Ford was barely out of office. Gas was under a buck. Ohio State fans still thought Woody Hayes was untouchable.

Now imagine it happening in 2025, with these two carrying the rock. This isn’t just about nostalgia—it’s about Michigan being Michigan again. Tough, physical, relentless. The kind of football that doesn’t just beat Ohio State, it leaves their fans muttering, “Well, there’s always next year,” while they try to scrub block M logos out of their nightmares.

We’ve got a new quarterback (Bryce Underwood, the future), we’ve got Chip Lindsey calling plays, and we’ve got a defense that can hang with anybody. But the heart of Michigan football? The thing that makes us pound our chests in Detroit bars and living rooms every Saturday? The run game. Always the run game.

And if Marshall and Haynes live up to the hype, this season could feel like the Michigan football I fell in love with as a kid. The kind where you know what’s coming—and you still can’t stop it.

This is why I love my job. Because here at 94.7 WCSX—the Detroit radio home for Michigan football—we get to live this with you. We get to tell these stories, hype these players, and scream about them on Monday morning like we were all on the sidelines together.

I don’t want to jinx it, but there’s something special brewing in Ann Arbor. Jordan Marshall. Justice Haynes. Chip Lindsey pulling the strings. If this is the start of another Michigan run of dominance, then we’re about to have a lot of fun on the air this fall.

So buckle up, Detroit. The backfield is loaded, the offense has swagger again, and Ohio State? Well…let’s just say their linebackers better pack a lunch. Because these two are coming.

First game Saturday, August 30th at the Big House against New Mexico.

And I, for one, cannot wait.