Power up: Michigan’s Blake Corum adds 12 pounds, ready for larger workload in 2022

ANN ARBOR – After Michigan’s operating again Blake Corum rushed for 125 yards and three touchdowns towards Northern Illinois in Week 2 final season, head coach Jim Harbaugh lauded the operating again’s offseason coaching to arrange for 2021 marketing campaign.

Harbaugh known as Corum a weight room “stalker” for his dedication to his energy coaching.

The junior, carrying a tight-fitting navy t-shirt, spoke to media Friday inside Schembechler Corridor, and as soon as once more his offseason features have been evident. The 5-foot-8 Corum is coming off a breakout 2021 season the place he rushed for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 video games, however the former four-star recruit out of Baltimore St. Frances Academy has bulked as much as put together for a possible bigger workload in 2022.

He has added 12 kilos since final season and now weighs 212.

“It actually wasn’t the concept,” Corum mentioned. “It was actually simply placing in work, actually. Consuming proper, hydrating higher — that’s what it led to. I actually wasn’t making an attempt to, it type of simply occurred. I really feel good proper now. If something, I really feel quicker. It doesn’t change my sport in any respect. Possibly convey a bit of extra energy, a bit of extra weight with it.”

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Final 12 months’s operating again duo of Hassan Hakins and Corum earned the moniker, “thunder and lightning” for his or her contrasting but efficient kinds. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Haskins was one of many prime energy runners in school soccer, whereas Corum introduced extra pace and elusiveness to the backfield.

With Haskins now within the NFL, Corum mentioned there may be a brand new sort of storm brewing in Ann Arbor. Corum and dual-threat sophomore Donovan Edwards are anticipated to deal with a bulk of the touches this season, whereas redshirt freshman Tavierre Dunlap, true freshman CJ Stokes and walk-ons Isaiah Gash and Leon Franklin are battling for third on the depth chart.

“It’s lighting and lightning now,” Corum mentioned of he and Edwards, who had extra receiving yards (265) than speeding yards (174) final season. “Tavierre brings a bit of little bit of thunder, however Tavi isn’t gradual. CJ’s quick too, so it’s a complete bunch of lightning.

“The sport has to go on. Clearly, we’re gonna miss Hassan. He was a giant a part of our offense, however we’re gonna decide up proper the place we left off. Donovan’s gonna are available and get extra reps, Tavi’s prepared, CJ’s prepared. We’re selecting up proper the place we left off. We nonetheless have, in my view, the very best offensive line within the nation.”

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The Wolverines won’t have the ability to exchange Haskins’ physicality, however Michigan edge rusher Jaylen Harrell doesn’t consider there might be a lot of a dropoff with Corum operating between the tackles.

“That’s a canine proper there,” Harrell mentioned Friday. “Arduous operating again, makes you miss within the open discipline. Including that 10-11 kilos, he actually can take extra hits and is extra sturdy. Blake’s a canine, for actual.”

Corum was on tempo to hurry for 1,000 yards final season earlier than an ankle damage Nov. 6 towards Indiana compelled him to overlook the final three quarters of that sport and the following two video games. He acquired double-digit carries in every of his first eight video games however didn’t have greater than six in any of the ultimate three video games since returning to motion towards Ohio State on Nov. 27.

However Corum is wholesome once more, and Harbaugh is anticipating one other massive 12 months out of him after one other productive offseason.

“Blake Corum has been a star since he walked on campus in his freshman and sophomore seasons,” Harbaugh mentioned earlier this month on “Within the Trenches” podcast. “In search of a giant junior 12 months out of him. And Donovan Edwards, one other star-type of participant. Star leaders, too.

“Blake Corum is among the finest examples of anyone on the crew. Each time we discuss follow or watching a man go about his enterprise in a coaching setting, there’s no person higher than Blake.”

After receiving all-Huge Ten third-team honors final season, Corum has collected ample preseason accolades heading into 2022, most notably touchdown on the Doak Walker and Maxwell award watch lists.

“I don’t actually care about these issues as a result of it’s all preseason,” Corum mentioned. “The one factor that’s gonna matter is who wins it after the season, proper? However even with that, I don’t even give it some thought. Clearly, I’ve self-goals. However I’m extra centered on my crew proper now. I’m actually centered on beating Michigan State, beating Ohio State once more, going to win the Huge Ten Championship and truly going all the way in which this 12 months. That’s my focus.

“The yards, the yardage, yards per carry, yards after carry, all that’s going to come back, however so long as you give attention to the crew, and that’s why I’m centered on — ensuring my O-line will get higher. What can I do to assist them get higher? What can I do to assist the protection get higher? We all the time say, ‘The crew, the crew, the crew,’ and that’s what I’m shopping for into.”

Corum’s team-focused mentality doesn’t imply he hasn’t honed in on his particular person sport. The Virginia native spent myriad hours this offseason self-scouting to search out methods to enhance.

“I watched my movie fairly a bit,” he mentioned. “I additionally like watching different operating backs, different defenses — all the time simply making an attempt to coach myself on totally different defensive schemes, and issues that I might see throughout the season. What I picked up from what I did final 12 months, and what I can assist myself on is clearly simply studying blitzes higher. I can all the time be higher by learning defenses. They might convey this blitz, they might convey that blitz. So actually simply my IQ for the sport.

“That’s what I attempt to do is simply have a greater IQ for the sport — every day, every week. In order that’s actually what I’ve been engaged on is basically simply learning defensive schemes in order that after I’m on the market, I can simply ball.”