Why Pro Football Focus is high on Michigan football RB Blake Corum, 2 other Wolverines
Pro Football Focus recently came out with preseason lists ranking college football players by position and previewing who may be under the radar now but won't be for long.
Michigan football was well-represented in both regards.
PFF's Anthony Treash ranked the top 25 running backs in the country and Michigan's Blake Corum came in at No. 3 on the list, ahead of Ohio State's Treveyon Henderson (No. 4) and Wisconsin's Braelon Allen (No. 7).
Corum broke onto the scene as a sophomore in 2021, despite operating as the No. 2 running back behind Hassan Haskins.
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Corum finished the year with 144 carries for 952 yards, leading the team at 6.6 yards per carry, to go along with 11 rushing touchdowns.
The sophomore also caught 24 passes for 141 receiving yards (5.9 yards per catch) with another touchdown despite missing two games in November with an ankle injury.
The man pegged to be Corum's running mate this year, Donovan Edwards, also came in on this list as the No. 14 RB in the nation — not bad for someone who was third string as a freshman in 2021.
He ran 35 times for 174 yards (4.9 yards per carry) and scored three touchdowns.
By season's end, proved to be as much of a mismatch in the passing game as he was on the ground, which is why the West Bloomfield alum was also tabbed as one of 31 breakout candidates to watch.
Edwards caught 20 passes for 265 yards — 13.3 yards per catch — and scored one touchdown. The majority of that production came in a career game against Maryland, when he hauled in 10 receptions for 170 yards and a score.
"Edwards finished with 3.79 yards per route run and a 74.3 receiving grade on 70 routes for the season," according to PFF.
He also added 65 total yards (49 receiving, 16 rushing) in the College Football Playoff semifinal game against Georgia.
The final Michigan athlete PFF sees as one of 31 breakout candidates across the country to watch is wide receiver A.J. Henning.
Henning is a likely to start at the "Z" receiver for the Wolverines and running along a healthy Ronnie Bell and Cornelius Johnson should put him in mismatch situations.
Henning's numbers were modest as a junior — he caught 10 passes for 79 yards and rushed nine times for 162 yards with two touchdowns — but his skill set is undeniable.
He put his speed on display as well in the return game, when he returned a kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter against Maryland.
"The 5-foot-10, 185-pound weapon is a slippery athlete and is a threat to convert a big gain anytime the ball is in his hands," Treash wrote. "Head coach Jim Harbaugh actually said during the spring that they envision a Deebo Samuel-esque role for Henning in 2022, including reps at running back.
"Henning is a pure gadget player until he can expand on his route tree, but either way, he’s destined to be a valuable weapon for Michigan’s offense in 2022."
Contact Tony Garcia at apgarcia@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter at @realtonygarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: PFF high on Michigan football's Donovan Edwards, Blake Corum
