New Michigan offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey’s offense will have running backs more involved in the passing game. Here’s why that’s a good thing.
The Michigan offense is evolving, and new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey will put his stamp on the scheme in 2025 and beyond.
Michigan’s passing offense will be getting a bit of an overhaul under Lindsey, with one addition being running backs being receiving threats.
Running back Ben Hall told the media on Friday that Lindsey’s offense is giving him an opportunity to catch more passes.
“We’re often the last read, but we’re often the most wide open. We’re getting the check down a lot, we got screens in for us,” Hall said. “The biggest thing coach Lindsey has kind of inspired us to do is find a way to be open when we need to be.”
North Carolina had pass catching success out of the backfield with Lindsey as their offensive coordinator last season. Omarion Hampton, who will be a first round selection in the NFL Draft this month, had 38 receptions for 373 yards with two receiving touchdowns along with 1,660 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. Michigan’s leading pass catching back in 2024 was Donovan Edwards with just 18 receptions for 83 yards.
Omarion Hampton yards after the catch pic.twitter.com/ts3TcuyiOT
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) March 10, 2025
Hall mentioned that the running backs have watched game film of how Hampton was utilized in Lindsey’s scheme. What really stood out to Hall is how many variations Lindsey has with HB screens.
“A lot of screens. He had a good middle screen with him where he kind of flashed to the middle and gets the ball,” Hall said . “They’ve got screens going down the hash, screens going outside the tackle. A lot of different ways to get the running back of the ball in space.”
While players like Donovan Edwards and Chris Evans before him had excellent receiving skills at RB, this element of their game never became a focal point of this Michigan offense. HB screens, wheel routes, checkdowns, and so on were used as seasonings during the Jim Harbaugh era and during Sherrone Moore’s first season as head coach of Michigan. However, that’ll be changing with Lindsey.
The emergence of half backs as receiving threats could help five-star true freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood rack up completions without forcing the ball down the field when it isn’t necessary.