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Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Michigan football RB Justice Haynes lands on 2025 Maxwell Award watch list
When people think of the best college football player in the country, often, that's associated with the Heisman Trophy. But that's just one group's choice, as there is another who gives a trophy to the player deemed to be the best of the best. And in the 2025 preseason, one Wolverine is someone its committee is keeping an eye on. A former five-star, running back Justice Haynes languished during his two years at Alabama, sitting behind Jase McLellan and Jam Miller -- both of whom were often second options behind quarterback Jalen Milroe. He moved to greener pastures in Ann Arbor, where he's more likely to get significant carries, especially in the Wolverines' run-heavy scheme. Michigan revealed on Monday that Haynes is on the Maxwell Award watch list in the 2025 preseason, as one of 80 players that the committee is keeping tabs on. Though there is sometimes agreement between Heisman voters and the Maxwell committee, not always. Last year, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty won the award, and Washington quarterback Michael Penix the year before that. Neither were Heisman winners, but before Penix, both Bryce Young and Caleb Williams (in their Heisman seasons) did win the Maxwell Award. Even before them, there were some who won both, but it wasn't a foregone conclusion. Haynes might have some trouble in fully capturing the Maxwell committee's attention as he will be sharing the backfield with Jordan Marshall, who showed out against the Crimson Tide in the ReliaQuest Bowl. But still, the run game is likely to be a focal point for the Wolverine offense, especially as there are strong indications that freshman Bryce Underwood will be getting his feet wet sooner than later. This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Wolverine RB Justice Haynes eyed for Maxwell Award in 2025
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Michigan football adds Clarion transfer P Hunter Robertson to bolster 2025 special teams
It's unclear if Missouri punter Luke Bauer actually transferred into Michigan football, but regardless, the Wolverines are adding to the room. A fellow transfer at one point from Mississippi State, Hudson Hollenbeck handled the punting duties in the ReliaQuest Bowl after it was revealed that starter Tommy Doman Jr. would be transferring (he has since ended up at Florida). But the maize and blue would like more depth, and thus got it, dipping into the lower level. According to his X (formerly Twitter) account, former Clarion punter Hunter Robertson has committed to the Michigan Wolverines, adding some depth to the room. With the Golden Eagles, Robertson punted 51 times for 2,201 yards (an average of 43.16 yards) with a long of 70 yards. Listed by Clarion at 6-foot-5, 180 pounds, Robertson is entering his third year of college football. He's a Michigan native, originally from Huntington Woods in Oakland County. Robertson is also capable of handling kickoff duties, if needed, as he was Clarion's place kicker as a true freshman before taking over punting duties later in the year. This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football adds Clarion punter Hunter Robertson for 2025
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Sherrone Moore seeks undefeated Michigan season, not just in 2025, but every year
Despite being the protégé to Jim Harbaugh, Sherrone Moore isn't getting the same love as, say, David Shaw had after Harbaugh left Stanford. Yes, the Cardinal still thrived in the immediate aftermath, but Shaw also still had Andrew Luck to lead the charge on offense -- Moore wasn't dealt such a hand. Yet, we see him recruiting at an elite level -- even better than Harbaugh -- while also getting wins over Michigan's rivals, even in a year when it appeared the Wolverines had no business doing so. Moore may have led Michigan to an 8-5 record in 2024, but that's not his intent. With his recruiting and transfer portal prowess, he's looking to build a monster. And though he doesn't get the same benefit of the doubt as, say, Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame, or Kalen DeBoer at Alabama, he's seeking excellence commensurate with the maize and blue's ceiling. "I'm hell-bent on being undefeated every year. That's the standard," Moore said at Big Ten media days. "You don't want to lose any game. That's the goal (as a coach. You want to be undefeated every year. So for me, yeah, the standard is not 8-5, and the goal is to win every single game and to be successful and hoist the trophy again. Because once you win one, you get greedy. You want to win another. And that's the goal over here. "But we know it's going to take work, so can't be worried about the past, can't be worried about tomorrow. Because they don't owe you anything, so all we're worried about is today, and that's all we're going to do is work to be the best version of ourselves today." Michigan finished the season better than any team not named Ohio State in 2024 -- and that's because it beat the eventual national champion Buckeyes. That carried over to the ReliaQuest Bowl, where the Wolverines shocked Alabama -- a team bringing in all of its starters -- despite being significantly shorthanded. It was a reflection of the head coach, as his confidence going into those weeks permeated through the locker room (though that's not something he'd admit). He never lost his team, and they continued to believe, and it showed on the field. Moore recounted the killer instinct that his Wolverines had and why they were able to overachieve compared to expectations. "Just the instilled confidence that they have and the confidence that they got in those games. It wasn't a magic potion or something that we did, and it wasn't the way we changed practice because we practiced the same," Moore said. "But the energy, the focus, the level of confidence that they had in those games was definitely different than the others, and we'll just continue to apply it like that and just work. The leaders on the team saw it. The leaders on the team see it and continue to let our leaders be leaders and empower them as much as possible to make sure we continue that." Despite the late-season success and Moore's 4-0 record as Michigan's interim coach in 2023, he's not given much of a chance, according to many. In Big Ten head coaching rankings, CBS Sports listed Moore as the 15th-best in the conference, even though he's one of only two in the Big Ten who have beaten a Ryan Day-led Ohio State team (Dan Lanning is the other, though he also lost to the Buckeyes). But if his closing statement in 2024 is any indication, that ranking, and his national perception, will be changing in short order.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ernest Hausmann says toughness drove Michigan's 2024 wins over Ohio State, Alabama in bowl
Sitting at 5-5, no one expected much of note for the Michigan Wolverines for the rest of the way in 2024. Considered a favorite, but not by much, against Northwestern, the maize and blue took that game before shocking the world with a win in Columbus against Ohio State. The Wolverines then finished off the run with another surprising win, this time against Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl. The final three wins were indications that Sherrone Moore hadn't lost his team. But what's more than that, linebacker Ernest Hausmann says (when asked about beating OSU), the team came together with the common denominator being toughness. "We always pride ourselves on being the most toughest team out there on every single field. And, when you get to November, that's what it's about," Hausmann said at Big Ten media days. "It's about who is the toughest team because it's a product, when you get to November, about your offseason training, really. Because every single team is banged up. Every team is hurting, everyone's going through something that late in the season. "And so really, who really took the offseason training to have your body right, in a good enough condition where you can execute, and still be playing with the principles and the foundation of what we're built on. And that's toughness. And we hang our hats on that. But we have to do that each and every day to make sure we still strive for that." Now a leader on the Wolverines, Hausmann is working to instill that same mentality in the younger players who are on the defense and in his room. The proof is in the pudding: being able to out-tough opponents works, and though there were some speed bumps on the way to the final wins of 2024, being able to handle adversity mixed with physicality is the path to success. "I hope the young guys understand that, because it's huge that, those last couple of games, even if we talk about Ohio State first game, understanding that it's a long season," Hausmann said. "It's a very long season. And to see the growth that we took -- I'm just talking from a defensive standpoint, the people in my room -- and just seeing how as players, you have a responsibility to find a way to adjust, right? If something's not working, we're not having the success that we want, you have to find a way to adjust. The world's going to keep going on. You still have a game that Saturday, and you yourself have to figure out what you've got to do differently, and to be able to change that. And I think we did that well as a defense and really paid dividends for our successes towards the end of the season." Fans will get an opportunity to see the new-look Wolverines on August 30 when Michigan hosts New Mexico for the 2025 season opener.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Michigan football adds Clarion transfer P Hunter Robertson to bolster 2025 special teams
@UMichFootball It's unclear if Missouri punter Luke Bauer actually transferred into Michigan football, but regardless, the Wolverines are adding to the room. A fellow transfer at one point from Mississippi State, Hudson Hollenbeck handled the punting duties in the ReliaQuest Bowl after it was revealed that starter Tommy Doman Jr. would be transferring (he has since ended up at Florida). But the maize and blue would like more depth, and thus got it, dipping into the lower level. According to his X (formerly Twitter) account, former Clarion punter Hunter Robertson has committed to the Michigan Wolverines, adding some depth to the room. With the Golden Eagles, Robertson punted 51 times for 2,201 yards (an average of 43.16 yards) with a long of 70 yards. Listed by Clarion at 6-foot-5, 180 pounds, Robertson is entering his third year of college football. He's a Michigan native, originally from Huntington Woods in Oakland County. Robertson is also capable of handling kickoff duties, if needed, as he was Clarion's place kicker as a true freshman before taking over punting duties later in the year.
