Michigan Football: Kalel Mullings Beginning To Emerge At Midway Point
Although it didn't quite have the explosive start that many expected, the Michigan rushing offense is currently ranked No. 4 in the Big Ten conference and averaging 185.2 yards per game. Senior running back Blake Corum is leading all backs with 494 yards and 10 touchdowns through six weeks, while Donovan Edwards has added another 177 yards on 51 carries.
While Corum appears to be finding his stride, much of the focus has been on the lack of production from Edwards - who's averaging just 3.5 yards per carry and has yet to find the endzone at the midway point of the season. While some of the concerns about Edwards are valid, one of the biggest positives to emerge from the Michigan offense through the first six weeks has been the emergence of another running back - senior Kalel Mullings.
The 6-2, 239-pound running back spent the first two years of his Michigan career as a linebacker, appearing in all six games in 2020 and in 13 games in 2021. Although he continued to play the linebacker position during his junior year in 2022, Mullings also appeared as a running back in three games - accumulating 31 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries.
Now, as a senior, Mullings is beginning to assert himself as one of the top running backs on the roster. Although he's carried the ball just 23 times through the first six weeks, he's the teams third leading rusher and leads all running backs at 6.4 yards per carry. In Michigan's first road game of the season, Mullings broke off a 20-yard touchdown run (the longest of his career) and finished the afternoon with 43 yards on five carries, earning Michigan's offensive player of the week honors as a result. Last weekend against against Minnesota, Mullings was Michigan's second leading rusher with 47 yards on just eight carries - good for 5.9 yards per carry.
Halfway through the 2023 regular season, it's clear that Kalel Mullings is the real deal at the running back position. His size and strength make him the obvious choice in short yardage situations, but he's also shown that he has the speed and agility to be an every down back if needed. Put simply, Mullings has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2023 season so far.
