‘He did it all for us’: Kalel Mullings’ redemption arc to become Michigan’s RB1

In a cavernous and crumbling Michigan locker room, amid the eerie silence of a dream season gone suddenly and inexplicably sinister, an unlikely character awaited the investigation he knew was coming. Inch by inch, the reporters inched closer to running back Kalel Mullings, a converted quarterback whose second-quarter scoring drive continued the momentum toward Texas Christian’s valiant underdogs. Members of the media danced around the security elephant in the room with questions about the dramatic nature of the Wolverines’ second straight loss in the College Football Playoff semifinals and Mullings’ continued tailback following Blake’s season-ending knee injury. Corum.

But the inevitable questions can only be avoided for so long. And soon, a sad story was told very well: What happened in the handshake between quarterback JJ McCarthy and Mullings, who was covered as a defender in three-point territory and then lost the ball in a pile of bodies on Michigan’s first down. -and a field goal from the 1-yard line, a double-digit deficit already visible on the State Farm Stadium scoreboard?

“I’m just going to throw the handoff like I always do,” Mullings said. “I didn’t get it very well. I went to put it away and I fell forward in that part of the yard, really. It just slipped, obviously. And then it took me like — I didn’t process that. The ball was — it was so fast that, like, I didn’t process that the ball was on the ground when I went to try it. to take it, they were football players, and you’re down, they’re going to jump on that.”

And sure enough, they do. The Horned Frogs recovered Mullings’ fumble in the end zone for a touchdown that robbed Michigan of its best scoring opportunity in a lost first half. Another TCU touchdown extended the lead to 18 points at the 4:56 mark of the second quarter in a game the Wolverines had never led, a setback caused by self-inflicted wounds: questionable playmaking, unusual turnover patterns by running backs coach Mike Hart. , two pick-6s thrown by McCarthy, a foul on the line in the fourth quarter, and a mishandled goal-line exchange with Mullings. When it finally ended after nearly five hours of real time, the Horned Frogs advanced to the national championship game with an unforgettable 51-45 win.

That Mullings stood resolutely by his locker and faced the music spoke volumes on what was arguably the most painful night of his career. He politely fielded questions from any members of the media who wanted an explanation for his mistake, even as some of his Michigan teammates — especially McCarthy, who had thrown twice and fumbled twice in the most game-winning game of his career. – refused to fulfill their obligations after the game. It was Mullings who personified accountability.

All of this made Mullings’ 2024 season-ending redemption arc all the more satisfying for a player who switched positions so many times, switching between linebacker and running back in the first few years of his career, before finally finding his place as the No. . 1 tailback in a run-heavy, run-heavy Michigan offense that would suddenly be lost without him. Mullings carried 17 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s thrilling win over No. The result. He leads the team in carries (53), rushing yards (429) and rushing touchdowns (four) through the first four weeks of the season.

“He can take it a long way, as he’s shown,” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said after Saturday’s win. “He can run it. He just does everything for us. He’s a pass protector. He’s been unbelievable. Last year he averaged 6 yards. So it’s no surprise how good he is and what he’s done. But to see him take the next step and really make those explosive plays [is awesome]. And when the game is on the line, he wants the ball in his hands and makes plays happen. You are a star. He’s a team player.”

The quote from Moore is one that, a few months ago, many fans expected to be linked to Donovan Edwards, the former five-star recruit who seemed poised to inherit the big job once Corum’s career was over. After all, it was Edwards who threw for 104 yards and two touchdowns in the national championship game against Washington. And it was Edwards who rushed for 520 combined yards and three combined touchdowns in games against Ohio State, Purdue and TCU to finish the 2022 season after Corum tore his meniscus and had surgery.

But despite entering the year as Michigan’s unquestioned lead back — and being voted team captain along the way — Edwards has been a less effective runner statistically than the 6-foot-2, 233-pound Mullings in three of the Wolverines’ first four seasons. games:

The production Mullings managed against USC was especially herculean when the Wolverines switched at quarterback from Davis Warren, a pocket passer, to Alex Orji, an indirect threat. Michigan’s passing attack was so limited with Orji running the offense that it wasn’t until the team’s last drive that he finally completed a pass of more than 9 yards. Instead, Moore and offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell entrusted Mullings with carrying the ball eight times for 83 yards in what appeared to be the game-winning drive, as the Trojans understandably packed the box with defenders who knew Michigan was unlikely to pass.

“I feel like that symbolizes who we are, you know?” Mullings said after the game. “Always working hard until the end. In that whole machine, you know, it was just grit and grind. We like to say, ‘We’re grinding meat.’ We were just grinding meat the whole time, killing the clock and going down there.

“Shout at the O-line, shout [H-back Max Bredeson]shouted everyone, man, opening the pits. And we just managed to do it. At the end of the day, a lot of football is about what you do when you’re faced with adversity, so it’s nice to face some adversity and overcome it.”

Punishing a 10-play, 89-yard drive that won the game for Michigan highlighted a key difference between the running styles of Mullings and Edwards, with the former seemingly better suited to stop the offense, regardless of who is playing quarterback the rest of the game. the season. Mullings averaged 5.65 yards per carry after touchdown against a rejuvenated Trojans defense anchored by D’Anton Lynn. He also averaged 5.3 yards per carry after contact in each of the Wolverines’ first four games, which ranked fourth nationally behind Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty (6.3), Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson (5.8) and Washington’s Jonah Coleman (5.4). Edwards, on the other hand, is averaging 2.9 yards after contact per carry, including a low 1.6 against USC’s offensive defense.

Even Moore couldn’t deny what has become abundantly clear to the outside world when asked if Mullings should be the team’s No. 1 back against Minnesota on Saturday (Noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App) and beyond.

“I think he’s earned the right to be in that conversation and talk about it, have those conversations with both of those guys,” Moore said earlier this week. “But those are the things we’ll talk about with them. Khalel played a tough game, and you can’t deny the impact he had on the game. So we’ll have those conversations as a matter of course.”

Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him on @Michael_Cohen13.

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