Kalel Mullings Has Taken Over Michigan's Backfield

The Big House. Ann Arbor, Michigan. September 21st, Michigan vs USC.

It’s the fourth quarter and USC is up 24-20 when Michigan faces a 3rd-and-1 with 2:21 left on the clock. Alex Orji, Michigan’s new starting quarterback, takes the snap, and hands off to the running back, who churns his legs, spins out of a tackle, and busts a 63-yard run down to the USC 17-yard line when the two-minute timeout strikes. 

In the biggest moment, Michigan did what they do best, run the football. They scored the game-winning touchdown with 37 seconds left on the clock. On the game-winning drive, Kalel Mullings, not Donovan Edwards, was in the game and capped off the Michigan victory. He finished the game with 17 carries, 159 yards, and two touchdowns and has looked far closer to the lead back Michigan was expecting Edwards to be in 2024. 

The expectations for Edwards after helping lead Michigan to a National Championship in 2023 were sky-high. He was routinely in talks among the best running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft. The workhorse role would finally be his and he was even selected to be a co-cover athlete for CFB25. His explosiveness became the hallmark of his game and he broke numerous runs over the past few seasons against top teams in the country. 

This season hasn’t gone how he would have hoped. Edwards is without a 100-yard game to his name, although he's performed better in the last two games against Arkansas State and USC. Edwards has spoken about how his career at Michigan has taught him a lesson in patience after Blake Corum’s decision to return in 2023 impacted his expectations. A lesson that, it appears, he’s trying to utilize more on the football field. 

Edwards found one of his signature breakaway runs against USC, but there’s been something off about his game this season. He isn’t breaking as many runs or tackles and the passing game hasn’t allowed him to showcase what he is as a receiver. But whatever he’s having trouble finding in his game, Mullings has picked up and run with. Mullings has nearly three games with 100 yards or more on the ground including back-to-back games of 150-plus yards and two touchdowns. He’s been a tackle-breaking machine and added multiple explosive runs for Michigan in the win over USC. As the former linebacker gained confidence in himself, the staff showed their trust and confidence keeping him on the field for the game-winning drive. That’s the sort of usage and trust that earns players snaps and makes the team believe that every time he gets the football, good things will happen. 

As Michigan’s passing offense tries to find itself this season, these backs have combined for 103 carries, 50 to Edwardsa and 53 to Mullings. The difference in carries going forward could continue to grow for Mullings with his breakout performances over the past two weeks. This season, Mullings has more than 200 more yards on the ground than Edwards, nearly double his yards per carry (8.1 to 4.5), and four rushing scores, double what Edwards has. The eye test tells a lot about these running backs right now. Mullings is making quicker decisions, seeing holes better, running through and forcing more missed tackles, and giving Michigan’s offense more juice. 

There’s no denying it; this is a 1-2 punch backfield led by Mullings. His draft stock will continue to climb with performances like this in big moments. One thing Jim Nagy points out in his tweet is a big indicator of Mullings’ skill and confidence; the willingness to cut inside and then back out. He trusts his athletic ability to make the defender miss after cutting into his path, only to cut right back out and continue the run. His footwork this season has improved dramatically making him a more consistent force with the ball in his hands. Not to mention he’s been an Iron Man during his career, playing 48 games in his Michigan career which he split at linebacker and now his true calling, running back. 

Mullings is the epitome of a Michigan running back and embodies exactly the kind of running style they look to impose on their opponents. He wants those hits to be felt in the fourth quarter. He’s put in the work and it shows on the field with his vision, speed, and decisiveness. He moves better than most backs listed at 230 pounds, but when he hits opposing defenders, they’ll remember how powerful he is. Just ask the USC defenders who tried stopping him on 3rd-and-short in the fourth quarter and they’ll tell you.