It wasn’t so long ago that Michigan football fans wanted to see less of Kalel Mullings in the running back position. Now they want to see him a lot more.
And they’re about to get their chance with the latter.
Mullings was recruited to Ann Arbor as a linebacker, but in spring of 2022, he started dabbling at running back. He fumbled once in the spring game and thus languished on the bench for much of the year. But when Blake Corum injured his knee in the penultimate week of the regular season, Mullings needed to come in periodically to spell Donovan Edwards, and thus it was finally his time to shine.
But, a botched handoff on the goal line in the College Football Playoff semifinal against TCU was so disastrous, Mullings’ future appeared to be in doubt. However, in 2023, when he was healthy, he had a solid year, bulldozing his way through defensive fronts, all while protecting the football. Now, he’ll split time with Edwards, and will assuredly be the thunder to Edwards’ lightning.
On the In the Trenches Podcast, Mullings shared where he’s worked the hardest this offseason and how he hopes it will pay off.
“Yeah, so for me, definitely it’s been the last third of my runs, being able to break the long ones,” Mullings said. “Being mobile and agile though, that’s been my biggest area of focus, while still maintaining my size and the biggest thing that kind of separates me. So, for me, this offseason has been finding that balance of being a big, powerful back, but at the same time being able to take it the distance and get those house calls.”
The good thing is, regardless if Mullings is the second tailback off the bench, the first, or the last, the group has really come together as one unit, happy for each other’s success.
His sentiments somewhat echoed Edwards’ stance at Big Ten media days, noting that it’s not just a friendly, in-room competition. It’s a brotherhood. And as such, they all want a piece of the pie and they all want each other to share in that.
“We’re all brothers in that room. We all love each other,” Mullings said. “And that’s the main thing — it’s a real, genuine connection, and relationships with all your teammates. That’s first and foremost. And then after that, it’s just having fun with the guys, bringing the best out of each other. Because I know if one of the other guys is coming into practice pulling the best out of me, and I’m doing the same with him, no matter what happens, we’ll be — the team as a whole, being in a better spot.”