RB Justice Haynes’ path to Michigan Football, outlook for 2025 season

Justice Haynes was one of the biggest additions for Michigan Football in the transfer portal this offseason. Here’s what the running back has accomplished thus far in his career and what to expect from him in 2025:

Justice Haynes was a rising contributor at Alabama the last two seasons, but will now look to break out in Ann Arbor in 2025. Today, we continue our player profile series by taking a look back at his college career, path to Michigan, and what to expect from him this season.

The story so far

Haynes was considered one of the elite prospects in the 2023 class. A five-star on the 247Sports composite and lauded for his play strength, he was the No. 29 overall player and No. 3 ranked running back. Ultimately, he chose Alabama.

He didn’t see the field all that much as a freshman, registering just 25 carries for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Most of his production came in mop-up duty late in games. However, Haynes did get some exposure to Michigan when he had four carries for 31 yards in the Rose Bowl .

As a sophomore last fall, Haynes was viewed as a bigger contributor under new head coach Kalen DeBoer. Serving in a committee alongside Jam Miller, Haynes had 79 carries for 448 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games. He also showed some receiving chops, catching 17 passes for 99 yards.

Haynes’ biggest rushing outburst came in Week 1 against Western Kentucky, when it took him just four carries to register 102 yards. He also had 79 yards in Week 8 against Missouri.

Following the 2024 season, Haynes entered the portal and transferred to Michigan, where he’s expected to be part of a great duo with Jordan Marshall. He gave fans a first look at his abilities in the spring game last month, running for 51 yards on six carries.

Outlook for 2025

Michigan fans have grown accustomed to dominance on the ground. Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards stabilized the running back position in 2022 and 2023, rushing for 4,196 yards over that span. However, that production took a step back in 2024 — while Kalel Mullings broke out with 948 yards, Edwards’ production cratered.

Turning the page to 2025, there’s hope the offense can bounce back. A lot of that hope has to do with the arrival of Bryce Underwood and offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, but it’s fair to say Haynes and the running backs should be a reason for optimism as well.

While Haynes wasn’t relied on much at Alabama, he was effective when given the opportunity and has averaged 5.9 yards per carry in his career. He should be in an even split with Marshall at the very least and should have somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 carries, nearly double his 79 carries from last year.

While Marshall may provide a bit more explosiveness, Haynes (listed at 5-foot-11, 205 pounds) can be relied on as an early-down and short-yardage thumper that keeps the chains moving. Furthermore, he should be a big asset near the goal line and have plenty of chances to get in the end zone.

In addition to his strength, Haynes does have some speed in his game that should allow him to pick up big chunks of yardage after he clears the second layer of the defense. His ability in the receiving game should be something Michigan looks to utilize as well as it looks for ways to involve the running backs in the passing game.

Overall, Haynes could be one of Michigan’s best additions through the transfer portal this offseason. Look for him to be a big contributor this fall.