Michigan bolstered its running back depth with Princeton transfer John Volker. A versatile, hard-nosed back with breakaway speed and special teams prowess, he should be able to compete for the vital RB3 role this fall:
Before the final showdown between Marty McFly and ‘Mad Dog’ Tannen in Back to the Future Part III, the hero and the villain discuss the terms of their final duel.
Tannen: “I’ll be back this way on Monday! We’ll settle this then… right there… out in the street… in front of the Palace Saloon!”
McFly: “Yeah, right. When? High noon?”
Tannen: “Noon? I do my killin’ before breakfast! Seven o’clock!”
McFly: “Eight o’clock. I do my killin’ after breakfast!”
The Michigan Wolverines did the majority of their “killin’” in the transfer portal early in the cycle, but the finishing pieces always come after breakfast.
Ahead of the 2022 season, Michigan added rotational defensive tackle Cam Goode in April, and edge rusher Eyabi Okie days before the opener against Colorado State. In the spring of 2023, Michigan added UMass cornerback Josh Wallace and Louisville kicker James Turner, who both played pivotal roles during the national championship season. And last year, Michigan added seven players in the second window, including the best kicker in the country, Dom Zvada, and eventual starting cornerback Aamir Hall.
The second window has become a way for the Wolverines to address roster holes that only recently emerged or became visible. This year, a hole at running back was opened after the season with Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards going to the NFL, and was further expanded by Ben Hall’s transfer.
Outsiders may read that sentence and scoff at the ridiculousness of needing to fill the void created by the departure of a third-string running back. After all, Michigan already added Alabama transfer Justice Haynes to complement the ReliaQuest Bowl MVP Jordan Marshall. However, while most teams covet three receivers, Michigan covets three running backs, and for good reasons.
Fans remember 2021 when true freshman Donovan Edwards stepped up for an injured Blake Corum to help spell Hassan Haskins and single-handedly won the game against Maryland. Or in 2022, when reserve running back Isaiah Gash caught a season-saving fourth-down pass against Illinois, or the following week, when Kalel Mullings — in his first game at running back — threw a pass (!) to help upset the Buckeyes in Columbus.
The third running back is a vital position in Ann Arbor and will likely play a role this season. So when Hall entered the portal, head coach Sherrone Moore wasted no time adding Princeton transfer John Volker and UMass transfer C.J. Hester.
Today, let’s take a closer look at what Volker brings to the Wolverines.
Background
Despite a decorated career on the gridiron and track, Volker went under-recruited out of high school. Officially a no-star recruit (per 247Sports), he mostly held offers from Ivy League schools and other smaller, yet prestigious universities. In 2021, Volker decided to follow in his brother’s footsteps and attend Princeton.
Quick tangent: John’s older brother Charlie graduated from Princeton in 2019 after rushing for 670 yards on 97 carries (6.9 yards per carry) and 14 touchdowns as a senior. Charlie had a quick cup of coffee in the NFL before turning his attention to bobsledding. Despite only one year of dedicated training, Charlie made the U.S. teams’ two- and four-man teams for the 2022 Beijing Olympics and will again be on the teams in 2026.
Volker appeared in eight games as a true freshman for Princeton, rushing 35 times for 126 yards, and adding four receptions for 96 yards and two touchdowns. He also played special teams during his first season and forced a fumble while playing kickoff coverage.
In 2022, Volker had his sophomore season cut short due to injury. In four games, he totaled 95 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 28 carries. As a junior, Volker played in eight of 10 games and accrued 105 touches for 530 all-purpose yards.
Last year, Volker was elected a team captain and put together his most productive and healthy season of his career with 89 carries for 514 yards (5.8 per carry) and six touchdowns. He added 75 receiving yards to earn All-Ivy Honorable Mention.
In his final game for the Tigers, Volker broke off a 75-yard touchdown on his first carry against rival Penn. Volker’s 170 total yards helped lead Princeton to victory over its main rival, 20-17, and capped off a 3-1 career mark against the Quakers.
Measurables
Volker is listed at 6-foot, 215 pounds, and appears every bit of it. A deceptive burner, he has true breakaway speed and an official 4.40 40-yard dash. In high school, he ran an 11.1 100 meters, but has more football speed than other athletes who might have run faster without pads.
In the weight room, Volker has posted impressive numbers, including 565 pounds for three reps on deadlift and six reps of 275 pounds on the bench press. Below, you’ll find his 500-pound triple on squat from February with excellent depth for the “yeah, but” crowd.
500×3@JMNewman2 @WillReed44 @matthewmahoney0 pic.twitter.com/B2tBvYACLw
— John Volker (@JohnVolker3) February 25, 2025
Princeton Film Study
TL:DR: Volker is a versatile, well-rounded running back who possesses deceptive quickness, true breakaway speed, and a penchant for physicality.
Comparison: V-8 Rex Burkhead with a better SAT score
Turning on Volker’s tape, I expected a knock-off Cam Skattebo — a punishing runner with limited athleticism who is best suited to running through opponents and would primarily be a goal-line option for the Wolverines. However, despite a similar build to the ex-Arizona State standout, Volker is a vastly different player.
Volker is a deceptively agile home-run hitter who excels in space as both a runner and receiver. As a runner, he understands how to set up his blocks in zone and schemes and hit the hole HARD in gap schemes, (which has to make Moore smile) and uses his impressive wiggle to jump across gaps and exploit over-pursuing defenders. Once he is clear of the linebackers, good luck.
As a blocker, Volker is reliable and eager to hit. Last season, the team captain only allowed one pressure in 28 pass-pro reps and would not hesitate to stick his helmet into the fray to help spring a teammate.
When utilized as a receiver, Volker has good hands and is lethal after the catch. His route-running and the intricacies require refinement, but his natural athleticism has allowed him to overcompensate for lacking the finer details to this point.
When healthy, the negatives are hard to find in his game. But there underlies the crux of his success in 2025 — health. In four years at Princeton, he has only played in 29 career games and has never played an entire season. His 245 career carries would rank as Blake Corum’s third-most in a single season. Sheer tape-wise, however, this feels like a diamond in the rough. As long as the diamond can withstand the pressure and force of Big Ten football.
Expectations at Michigan
Volker is going to compete for the RB3 role, and if healthy, he will win it. Volker is the prototypical third-down back with the size to hold up in pass pro and speed to serve as a weapon in and out of the backfield. Volker will be a key piece on draws and screens, which will be featured more in Chip Lindsey’s offense, and on special teams, where his athleticism and physicality can help salvage Michigan’s putrid punt coverage (ranked No. 17 in the Big Ten) from last season. He could also be a dark-horse contender for kick returns, with Moore looking to take that responsibility off Marshall’s plate.
There will be an obvious jump for Volker in competition as he goes from outrunning future congressmen in the Ivy League to evading future NFL All-Pros in the Big Ten. But he is not coming in to shoulder a massive workload either. Volker has operated out of a committee backfield his entire career, and his versatile skillset makes him a malleable piece that will inevitably find a place to contribute.