Michigan's Justice Haynes could soar in 2026 NFL draft with big 2025, says PFF
Michigan football has lost a lot of talent in the past two years after winning the national championship following the 2023 season. With 13 players being drafted in the 2024 NFL draft and another seven in the 2025 draft, the Wolverines certainly were loaded with skillful players.
The question now, however, is how much talent is there currently in Ann Arbor?
The maize and blue have a lot of players returning from last year's squad, as Michigan is ranked No. 29 in returning talent according to ESPN's Bill Connelly. Even though there are many top-tier recruits who will be taking the field (about eight on both offense and defense -- and that's not even counting three-stars who have shined, like Rod Moore or TJ Guy) the Wolverines are looked as something of a good, but not great team entering 2025.
However, if Michigan gets big production from one player in particular, it wouldn't just propel the Wolverines into a solid year, but could also allow him to potentially leave early.
One offensive player who could make a big jump this year
The maize and blue got a big transfer portal commitment from former five-star running back Justice Haynes, who started his career at Alabama. He didn't get much run in his freshman season, but saw more time in his sophomore campaign -- though he was still the third running option behind quarterback Jalen Milroe and tailback compatriot Jam Miller.
In the April spring game, his first look in a Michigan uniform, Haynes shined, and is poised to either start, or split carries with second-year running back Jordan Marshall -- a former four-star out of Cincinnati who looked excellent against Haynes' former team in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
PFF put together a list of 10 players who are 'wild cards' that could rise up 2026 NFL draft boards. Haynes was included as one of the 10.
RB Justice Haynes, Michigan
Haynes was stuck in a committee backfield at Alabama during his first two years of college football but now projects as the bellcow back after transferring to Michigan. The No. 2 running back recruit in the 2023 class was very impressive on his 106 career carries with the Crimson Tide, posting an 84.7 rushing grade while averaging 3.4 yards after contact per attempt.
He's a one-cut runner who shows good vision and nice contact balance, he just needs to extend the flashes across an entire season with the Wolverines.
In the spring game, Haynes had six carries for 51 yards, which included a 26-yard run where he showed great vision and speed. If it was a real game instead of an intersquad scrimmage, it could have been potentially longer, but Haynes ran out of bounds instead of fighting for extra yardage.
Other candidates PFF didn't mention
Haynes might be PFF's pick, but there are others who certainly could find themselves in a solid position in next year's NFL draft. Here are some of our candidates for potential high-level draftees:
Seniors and graduates
EDGE Derrick Moore
EDGE TJ Guy
DT Rayshaun Benny
DT Tré Williams
DT Damon Payne
LB Ernest Hausmann
LB Jaishawn Barham
S Rod Moore
LG Giovanni El-Hadi
WR Donaven McCulley
TE Marlin Klein
Juniors
S Brandyn Hillman
CB Jyaire Hill
Michigan doesn't have a lot of high-level upperclassman talent on offense, but a lot of younger talent, like running back Jordan Marshall, quarterback Bryce Underwood, right tackle Andrew Sprague, and left tackle Andrew Babalola.
The Wolverines kick off the 2025 season on August 30 against New Mexico at The Big House.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a few seconds ago
- Yahoo
Jalen Ramsey says 'it ain't no gray area' in Pittsburgh Steelers training camp
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a busy offseason in 2025. The franchise kicked things off by trading a second-round pick to Seattle for wide receiver DK Metcalf before signing quarterback Aaron Rodgers to be their starter at the most important position in sports. Changes weren't limited to the offense, though. Pittsburgh traded away safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins for cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith in addition to a draft pick swap. Ramsey brings another veteran presence to the Steelers' secondary. He spoke on an episode of the "Pivot Podcast" with former NFL players Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder today about his experiences in Pittsburgh so far and his respect for Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. "All the essence of what football is about, he emphasizes it," Ramsey said. "Toughness, being well-conditioned... it ain't no gray area. It's black and white. This what we about around here. Were y'all tough today? Were you well conditioned? Were you running to the ball? Were you on your alignment, your assignment, your technique? Like, it ain't no excuses." Ramsey, a three-time first-team All-Pro, is entering his 11th season in the NFL. He spent the last two years in Miami and made the Pro Bowl in 2023 despite missing seven games. Prior to his stop in Miami, Ramsey played three and a half years in Los Angeles with the Rams. He was part of the team that won the Super Bowl in 2021. Pittsburgh lists him as the first-team nickel cornerback on the latest depth chart with Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay at the outside cornerback spots. Porter Jr. is the lone returning starter from last season when the Steelers had one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL (27th in yards allowed). Pittsburgh still made the playoffs as a 10-7 wild-card team and has its eyes set on another playoff berth with Rodgers at quarterback. The Steelers won their preseason opener against Ramsey's former team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, 31-25. They host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2 of the preseason on Saturday, Aug. 16. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jalen Ramsey says there 'ain't no gray area' in Steelers camp
Yahoo
a few seconds ago
- Yahoo
Jonathan Smith provides interesting update on MSU O-Line depth
Depth within the offensive line was a concern last season for the Spartans, but that doesn't appear to be the case anymore. Michigan State is in the midst of fall preseason camp, with the Spartans kicking off week three of practice earlier on Monday. As part of progressing into week three, Spartans head coach Jonathan Smith met with the media on Monday to discuss a number of topics surrounding his team. One of those was the depth he's seeing at offensive line. According to a post from Emmett Matasovsky of Spartan Shadows, Smith said there's a battle for the starting five spots on the offensive line, with "close to 10 guys" still in the mix. This quote is particularly interesting because, to me, this suggests they feel pretty good about essentially their entire two deep at offensive line. Michigan State's offensive line has been a weakness for the Spartans for what feels like a decade at this point. Sure, there have been bright spots along the way, but it hasn't been a unit that has given the fan base much faith over at least the last few seasons at a minimum. If Michigan State can put together an average Big Ten offensive line, I feel very confident in what they can achieve this season on that side of the ball. The skilled position groups all seem to be upper-tier in the league, with the offensive line being the biggest question mark. However, it's starting to sound like we should be putting more faith and expectations into that unit as we inch closer and close to the start of the 2025 season. Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5. This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Jonathan Smith provides positive update on MSU O-Line depth
USA Today
2 minutes ago
- USA Today
Saints announce 6 roster moves after free agent tryouts, lose several players to injuries
Tuesday's update to the daily NFL transactions wire revealed a number of roster moves for the New Orleans Saints. With a variety of injuries and roster vulnerabilities to manage after their first preseason game, just how did the Saints go about shaking things up? Let's go through each move listed on the wire and what they mean moving forward: C Will Clapp designated to injured reserve This was expected based off prior reporting. Clapp left with a foot injury early in Sunday's preseason game and wasn't able to return, and now his year is over. It's a devasting hit for the 29-year old pro. Clapp returned to the team that drafted him to try and give the Saints better depth behind Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy. They'll have to find depth elsewhere. TE Mason Pline waived with injury designation Pline was just picked up off of waivers from the San Francisco 49ers about a week ago, but he went down with an injury in the loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. This is a procedural move to put him on injured reserve and either stash him for the season or let him go with an injury settlement. That would give him an opportunity to play for another team in 2025, but probably not the Saints. WR Chris Tyree waived with injury designation This was another move reported ahead of time; Tyree suffered an undisclosed injury at practice and wasn't able to participate in the Chargers preseason game. Now he's being sent down to injured reserve, assuming he clears waivers. The undrafted rookie could get another shot with a different team if the Saints let him go with an injury waiver, but they may want him to stick around for a longer look next offseason. TE Seth Green re-signed to the 90-man roster Green was let go to open a roster spot for Pline, but with the newcomer going down with an injury, the Saints brought him back to fill out the depth chart. This could be Green's last shot at making an impression on the coaching staff. With Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill still recovering from knee injuries and Jack Stoll dropping a pass in the Chargers game, Green still has a real opportunity. DT Jayden Peevy signed to the 90-man roster Peevy was one of a dozen free agents who tried out for the Saints on Tuesday, and one of two who signed with them afterwards. Peevy is a big defensive lineman at 6-foot-5 and 308 pounds, though he's spent most of his NFL career on various practice squads around the league; he's made stops with the Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers (twice), Cleveland Browns, and Houston Texans after playing college football at Texas A&M. WR Roderick Daniels signed to the 90-man roster Daniels was a big-play threat at SMU who averaged 15.3 yards per catch in each of the last two seasons. He was also an asset in the return game for the Mustangs, averaging 10.3 yards per punt return with two touchdowns. But he weighs in at just 5-foot-9 and 186 pounds, so there are size limitations to his game just like with Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Brandin Cooks. He also signed with the Saints after Tuesday's group workout.
