Alabama transfer running back Justice Haynes has signed with Michigan, the school announced Friday.

Haynes, the No. 3 running back in ESPN’s transfer rankings, finished as Alabama’s third-leading rusher with 448 yards on 5.7 yards per carry and 7 touchdowns as a sophomore. He’ll have two more seasons of eligibility with the Wolverines.

The 5-foot-11, 210-pound back from Buford, Georgia, started six games in his second year with the Crimson Tide after rushing for 168 yards and two scores as a freshman. Haynes was the No. 24 overall player in the ESPN 300 for 2023.

He’ll join a Michigan backfield that must replace the production of seniors Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards, who combined for 1,537 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in 2024.

Michigan does return freshman back Jordan Marshall, who rushed for 100 yards on 23 carries in the Wolverines’ 19-13 victory over Alabama in the Reliaquest Bowl on Dec. 31. Haynes did not play for either team in the bowl game.

Michigan has added eight transfer signees following its 8-5 season under first-year coach Sherrone Moore. The Wolverines are also bringing in quarterback Mikey Keene (Fresno State), wide receiver Donaven McCulley (Indiana) and offensive lineman Brady Norton (Cal Poly) to help bolster an offense that averaged 22 points per game this season, which ranks 113th in FBS.

Two central Michigan men — one of whom allegedly fled to Texas and Mexico after an armed robbery — were arrested after leading police on a car chase through multiple counties, officials said.

A detective with the Ionia County Sheriff’s Office at about 11 p.m. Monday received a tip the wanted suspect had returned to the county, authorities said. A tipster told the detective the suspect was driving a GMC Yukon and provided him with the license plate number, they said.

Investigators believed the suspect was traveling to his mother’s home in Ionia and sheriff’s deputies positioned themselves to intercept the SUV, police said. They spotted the vehicle on East Lincoln Avenue and tried to pull the Yukon over. However, the suspect driver fled through the city of Ionia and onto a highway to Montcalm County.

Additional law enforcement officers joined the chase on various back roads, they said. The Yukon then traveled toward Greenville where the city’s police department took over the pursuit, officials said.

They followed the suspect vehicle into Kent County where local sheriff’s deputies deployed devices near Northland Drive to puncture the Yukon’s tires. The devices were effective, the vehicle stopped and several people exited the Yukon and ran away, police said.

Authorities searched the area on foot and used a drone to find and arrest everyone who was in the Yukon, they said.

During questioning, the SUV’s driver admitted he knew one of his passengers was wanted for armed robbery, police said. He also told investigators he was a parolee himself and was afraid of being arrested for associating with a crime suspect, they said.

Officials said three other passengers in the Yukon, a 19-year-old woman, a 17-year-old male, and a 22-year-old man, are not being charged. The three are Ionia residents. Police also said all the people who were in the Yukon are related to each other.

Police said the SUV’s driver, Diego Luis Bowerman, 21, of Ionia, was charged with fleeing and eluding police and parole violation. He was arraigned Tuesday in 64-A District Court in Ionia on a charge of third-degree fleeing and eluding police, according to court records.

A judge set his bond at $30,000 and scheduled his next court hearing for Jan. 13, 2025. Officials said he is currently being held at the Ionia County Jail.

Police said the passenger wanted on an armed robbery warrant from Kent County, Enrique Vazquez, 22, also of Ionia, has yet to be formally charged. He was taken to the Kent County Jail.

cramirez@detroitnews.com

X: @CharlesERamirez

After a Rose Bowl blowout, in which his top-ranked Oregon Ducks were blitzed off the field, head coach Dan Lanning had an interesting quote. Still stinging from the fact that his team was completely outmatched on the field he invoked the Michigan Wolverines during his post-game presser. Surely, he knew this would draw the ire of Buckeye fans who are still stinging from the manhandling they endured at the hands of the Wolverines to end their regular season. Having lost “The Granddaddy of them all” , I suppose Lanning saw it as a chance to take a final parting shot at the team from Columbus.

While many CFP pundits believe his Oregon team got the shaft in their seeding this year, eventually you have to beat the good teams to win a Natty either way. Having to face an Ohio State team that is suddenly more motivated than ever, in the second round is not really a reward for winning the toughest conference in football though. Consider that Penn State, a team Oregon also beat in the regular season along with Ohio State, has had to play SMU and Boise State to stay alive in the playoff. We are just happy to give Lanning a final barb to toss at the Buckeyes on his way out of Pasadena.

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