Michigan Football Sleepers For 2023: Running Back

Michigan is pretty much set at every position on the field, but there's always potential for someone to step up in a major way.

Michigan has stacked up two incredible seasons in a row and is riding as high as ever under Jim Harbaugh. In fact, the Wolverines are returning 81% of its production from last year's team, which included a win over Ohio State, a Big Ten title and a second straight appearance in the College Football Playoff. That mark is good for 5th in the entire country and 1st in the Big Ten. Because of that, there aren't many question marks on the roster.

Conversely, there are quite a few positions that are completely solidified and one of them is running back with two-headed monster Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. However, behind those two studs, there is a battle going on for the No. 3 spot. Insert my RB sleeper — CJ Stokes.

Former linebacker Kalel Mullings will definitely have a role as Michigan's bruising, short-yardage, goal line back. Last year he carried the ball 14 times for just 31 yards, but he did score three touchdowns. There are two incoming freshmen in Benjamin Hall, who looked powerful and quick during the spring game, and Cole Cabana, who was injured but brings a lot of speed and versatility to the field, who could factor in for touches. It'll be interesting to see if Mullings remains as the No. 1 power back or if he falls even or behind Hall. With Cabana, he's got to get and stay healthy and show that he can be a completely different type of player to get on the field.

Tavierre Dunlap is entering his third season at U-M, but he seems to be sliding down the depth chart considerably. He carried the ball just nine times for 46 yards in 2022 and might now be behind at least four other backs in Corum, Edwards, Mullings and Stokes. Throw in Hall and possibly Cabana, and the writing might be on the wall for him. Even former walk-on Isaiah Gash carried the ball 10 more times than Dunlap. 

There's obviously a lot of depth on the team at running back, and Corum and Edwards are the best one-two punch in the country, but if Jim Harbaugh and Mike Hart needed to trot another every-down, tote-the-rock guy out there, my vote would be for Stokes. The rising sophomore showed flashes of being really solid last year before fumbling and being benched. In 2022, a freshman Stokes carried the ball 55 times for 273 yards and a score and really showed a burst at times. People started to get really excited about him, but then he put one on the turf and Hart sat him down for a while. I see a rebound year in 2023.

In a perfect world, Michigan will pummel opponents with heavy doses of Corum and Edwards, and backups at running back will only see the field in blowout wins. Heaven forbid, if either Corum or Edwards are unavailable, it feels like Stokes could be the guy to step in.