Could Michigan RB Justice Haynes be the nation's most outstanding player in 2025?

On Monday, Michigan football running back Justice Haynes was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List. The prestigious award goes to the nation's most outstanding player in college football.

The award has been around since 1937 and there have been two Wolverines to walk away with the honor. Back in 1940, RB Tom Harmon won and in 1991, WR Desmond Howard won the Maxwell Award. In recent years, it's mostly been a QB award, but Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty broke that streak in 2024 by winning the Maxwell.

Could there be back-to-back RBs to win the award? Haynes is going to attempt to win it for the position.

👀 @justicehaynes6

Maxwell Award Watch List » College Football Player of the Year pic.twitter.com/szA3ekFJte
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) July 28, 2025

Haynes transferred into Michigan after spending his first two seasons at Alabama. In 2024, Haynes rushed for 448 yards and seven touchdowns for the Crimson Tide. Now in Ann Arbor, Haynes will make up a dangerous one-two punch with fellow RB Jordan Marshall.

The Wolverines have had elite backs for years now, and Haynes/Marshall are the next in line. Haynes went to Alabama as a Composite five-star recruit. He's ready to show the world why he was ranked so highly coming out of high school.

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