Kalel Mullings wants to ‘bring that hammer down’ as Michigan’s third running back.
ANN ARBOR, MI – Michigan football already has two starting running backs in Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, who are perhaps the best tailback tandem in the country. However, the battle this summer has been over who will come off the bench to fill in for them and provide a change of pace.
The Michigan Wolverines have options. C.J. Stokes and Benjamin Hall have long been considered two candidates for the position, but a lesser-known incumbent has got something to say about it.
On Monday night’s ‘Inside Michigan Football’ radio show, Jim Harbaugh stated that converted linebacker Kalel Mullings is the Wolverines’ No. 3 running back. Mullings began the season on defense but was shifted to offense late in the season after injuries injured Corum and limited Edwards. He was outstanding when called upon in the Big Ten Championship game, completing a ball to tight end Luke Schoonmaker against Ohio State. But, after fumbling and turning the ball over in the end zone against TCU in the College Football Playoff, his name isn’t one that’s often on fans’ lips unless it’s followed by expletives.
Mullings is expecting for some relief in 2023. He’s no longer splitting time on defense, and the high school running back brings something unique to the team that no other player at the position does.
“Blake and Dono are incredible running backs, and you’ll see that this season.” “But I’m the biggest guy in the room, so I’m going to bring that power,” Mullings explained. “And that’s my goal for myself: to add something that they don’t have as much of in order to help the team and the room.”
“So with everything that they’re going to do, I’m hoping to just bring some power and bring that extra — that hammer down from the running back position.”
Mullings has benefited from his singular focus because he knows what he’s looking at across from the line of scrimmage.
Though he had never played linebacker before college, he spent three years largely at the position before making a late-season switch last year. He believes it will be an added benefit when he’s lined up, staring at what the defense intends to accomplish against what his unit intends to do to overcome said defense.
As a result, he now believes he has regained control of the running back position.
“I would say if you asked me like a year ago, I would have definitely said I felt like more like a linebacker,” Mullings was quoted as saying. “But, coming back to it, I definitely feel more like a running back now, and I also believe that my experience playing defense has greatly aided my growth as a running back.” And even the cognitive process I go through before each play, understanding what defenses are in, who’s blitzing from where, what the flaws are in particular defenses, it’s benefited me a lot and has made me feel like a legitimate running back.”
Mullings, along with big-bodied quarterback Alex Orji, is also seeing time as a kick returner. If Jay Harbaugh decides to put him back deep, he believes it will be terrifying for kickoff coverage teams to see him downfield with the ball in his grasp.
“I know if I was on a kickoff team, if I saw dude as big as myself, I’d be like, ‘Shoot!’” Mullings explained. “But it’s something I’m used to, something I’m at ease with.” And, given my size and the speed that comes with it on kickoff, I was able to — as I previously stated, that’s a lot. So I’m looking forward to that.”
Mullings is expected to play in the Wolverines’ 2023 season opener against East Carolina on Saturday. The game begins at 12:00 EDT from The Big House and will be shown live on Peacock.
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