The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2019 THE WOLVERINE 27 BY CHRIS BALAS W ith due respect to all of Michigan's running backs since the mid-2000s, it's been since then that the Wolverines have had a "special" back who can be the bell cow, knows the game inside and out, has great instincts and the "it" factor that sets him apart. It took about five or six games in 2004 to realize Mike Hart was the guy, combining great feet, heart, courage and pass-blocking ability to establish himself as one of the Big Ten's best. Freshman Zach Charbonnet isn't there yet, but he's getting closer with each passing day. In his first-ever game, he picked up all nine of his blitz protections in a 40-21 win over Middle Tennessee State and added 90 yards on only eight carries. "I don't think we've had a back get nine pickups in protec- tion since we've been here," head coach Jim Harbaugh praised. "It's like, 'Wow! That's really good.' There were some sophisticated pro- tections going on. There were some changes in the protection at the line of scrimmage; there were some pro- tections changed right before the ball was snapped by the quarterback or the center. "It was just easy for him. He just handled it without a misstep." He'd been with pro running backs who weren't that good, Harbaugh added, going back to his days playing and coaching in the NFL. Tight ends coach Sherrone Moore took it a step further and compared Charbonnet to his former college team- mate, 2004 Heisman Trophy runner- up Adrian Peterson, who went on to become a seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro in the NFL. "I've only seen one other freshman back block like that, and that's the guy I played with," Moore noted. "Zach had nine pickups and never backed down. … He's all about his business, is very mature for his age and is obvi- ously a special talent." Though some of it comes naturally — contact courage, instincts, etc. — a lot of it has to be learned. Charbonnet enrolled at U-M in January to start pre- paring for his first season. Senior viper Khaleke Hudson was one, among many, that marveled at his work ethic. Harbaugh noted Charbon- net was like junior defensive tackle Ben Mason in his desire to get bigger and stronger. He was "living in the weight room," the coach said, and proving his com- mitment to his teammates despite be- ing held out of spring practice. "It's just the satisfaction that you're getting better, working on your craft and just doing all you can to be best prepared for those Saturdays," said Charbonnet, Rivals.com's No. 60 player nationally in the 2019 class. "I didn't really come in here thinking, 'I'm going to start' or 'I'm not going to start.' I came in and just did what I could to work and prepare for the team." So far, so good. He played a whop- ping 63 snaps in a win over Army, a physical game that proved to be a war of attrition against a determined squad. He carried the load in the sec- ond half, churning out the hard-earned yards and scoring three touchdowns in his first 100-yard outing. When other backs struggled in pass protection, Charbonnet stepped up for the second straight game and proved himself to his teammates as a man who could be trusted. "That's a big thing between fresh- men getting on the field or not getting on the field," Charbonnet said. "That's a big part of being a running back. It's more than running the ball. You've got to be able to protect the quarterback, and that was something I took as a challenge when I first got here. "In high school, you really didn't have to pick anyone up. There weren't really any protections. College is a lot more complicated — there are a lot more blitzes coming, and that was one thing I really had to train my mind on." It started when he underwent knee surgery in the spring. Unable to par- ticipate on the field, Charbonnet con- centrated his efforts on the weight room and his assignments, leaning on veterans like senior running back Tru Wilson to help him along. Like high school, when he decided in his freshman year that football was going to take precedence over his so- cial life, he dove in head first. "A lot of people want to go out, have fun partying and stuff like that," he said. "But that was something that I never really wanted to do. I just always wanted to get better at football. "I made spring ball beneficial for me, even though I was set back. I dove into the playbook, learning the offense better and doing everything mentally I could to prepare for when I came back." The soft-spoken frosh credited his dad for showing him the way early in life. "My pops is a really hard worker," Char- bonnet said. "He'd take week-long busi- ness trips just to get the job done. I come from a family that just works hard, and that's something that really attached to me." It's been noticed and appreciated. Though he's a man of few words — he had to be convinced to come and talk to the media days after his 100-yard performance against Army — he lis- tens, asking questions when necessary. He's also shown great natural abil- ity when he carries the ball, something fans will likely see more of when the players get more comfortable in the new spread offense. "Zach has shown who he is for us," offensive coordinator Josh Gattis said. "He's very consistent, very mature. I wasn't anticipating getting him that many reps against Army — he prob- ably got a little too many. "But throughout the game, we had some issues going on with protection and our running backs picking up pro- tections. It cost us two fumbles. "Zach's someone that's been very stout in the pass protection part of it. He could pick up the pressures that they were bringing, and it lent towards him getting a high volume of reps." Others will have to step up to share the load, and the other running backs are capable. For now, though, it's Charbonnet's show, and he's proven he's more than capable of playing the lead. ❏ Tight ends coach Sherrone Moore, comparing Charbonnet to former Heisman Trophy runner-up Adrian Peterson "I've only seen one other freshman back block like that, and that's the guy I played with. Zach had nine pickups and never backed down. … He's all about his business, is very mature for his age and is obviously a special talent." Rivals.com listed Charbonnet, who played at Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian, as the nation's No. 4 running back and No. 60 overall recruit coming out of high school. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL