ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In the Jim Harbaugh years, Michigan football had a keen eye on talent that perhaps got overlooked nationally in the scouting process. The Wolverines have had success on that front — from running back Hassan Haskins to wide receiver Ronnie Bell, you couldn’t just write off a lower-rated three-star prospect just because the recruiting services paid them little mind.
It appeared last spring as if Michigan had found another diamond in the rough in former three-star running back Benjamin Hall. Not even the consistent starter for his own high school team in Georgia, Hall was rated the No. 787 prospect in the country and fans asked questions about why he was a take.
Then the spring game came around in April 2023.
The true freshman had early enrolled and was one of the stars of the show. At 5-foot-10, 225 pounds, Hall rushed 13 times for 102 yards and a touchdown, wowing those in attendance and suddenly being projected as the freshman to watch. However, once the 2023 season rolled around, Hall only managed 15 carries for 69 yards and was mostly relegated to the bench.
However, he didn’t hang his head. Instead, he studied the game and those ahead of him on the depth chart. And his time watching instead of playing became a pivotal learning experience in his eyes.
“Where I didn’t see the field, I learned so much from the people in front of me and the coach, Coach Hart, we had. And so I think last year was just as beneficial as it ever could have been in terms of being on the field, off the field. Just showing up here every day and playing against the best guys in the country. So anything I saw on Saturday couldn’t have been better what I was seeing on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.”
One star player from last year who had been particularly fond of Hall and his game was fellow running back Blake Corum, who was perhaps the emotional leader of the team — if not he who most of the production came from. Sitting behind Corum, Hall used his first year to learn from Corum in his senior year — noting that there was a lot he could add to his game once his number was called.
“Since I’ve been here, all I’ve ever tried to do is kind of emulate things he did here, because obviously he’s a Michigan legend,” Hall said. “So part of me wants to hope that he kind of saw a little bit of himself in me in terms of his work ethic and style of play.”
Now Hall is up to 235 pounds and has been getting fall camp accolades. Though a big-time freshman like Jordan Marshall could come in and become that No. 3 running back, Sherrone Moore noted that it would be difficult to usurp Hall.
His ability this offseason has come from implementing the lessons he learned watching Corum on a daily basis. So what was it about Corum that made him so great?
“Just so consistent in everything he does. Shows up every day. Such a great leader,” Hall said. “So I guess just trying anything I can do to emulate what he did would be a huge step in the right direction because he was such a huge part of this Michigan team last year.”
