The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/526035
68 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW RUNNING BACKS WYATT SHALLMAN • RB R-So. • Hartland, Mich. Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 244 Career Highlights: Appeared in nine games in 2014, drawing a sin- gle carry for five yards in the season opener against Appalachian State … Redshirted in 2013. Prep: Three-year starter at running back and along the defensive line for Detroit Catholic Central … Played primar- ily on defense in an injury-plagued senior year, recording 66 hits with 14 for losses … Ranked as a four-star prospect, the No. 6 player in the state of Michigan and the No. 18 athlete nationally by Rivals.com … Listed as the No. 136 player in the country by MaxPreps.com. Personal: B or n Wyatt Chr istopher Shallman on Aug. 31, 1994 … Father, John, played football at Grand Valley State. DE'VEON SMITH • RB Jr. • Warren, Ohio Ht.: 5-11 • Wt.: 228 Career Highlights: Played in all 12 games and started two in 2014, leading U-M with 519 yards and six touchdowns on 108 carries … Set ca- reer highs with 18 carries for 121 yards against Indiana … Scored a touchdown against Michigan State in his first career start … Appeared in four games as a reserve running back in 2013 … Tallied 22 carries for 110 yards (5.0 yards per rush) … Made career debut in the season-opening win over Central Michigan, with seven carries for 12 yards … Racked up eight rushes for 41 yards at Northwestern … Tacked on seven carries for 57 yards against Ohio State. Prep: A four-year starter for Howland High School … Finished his career with a Trumbull County-record 6,750 yards rushing … Scored 82 touchdowns … Accumulated 1,883 yards and 27 scores on 167 carries in his senior year en route to being named the Associated Press Ohio Divi- sion II Offensive Player of the Year … Ranked a three-star prospect, the No. 26 player in Ohio and the No. 37 running back nationally by Rivals.com. Personal: Born De'Veon Le'trell Smith on Nov. 8, 1994. Year GP/GS Att. Yds. Avg. TD 2013 4/0 22 117 4.5 0 2014 12/2 108 519 4.8 6 Totals 16/2 120 636 4.7 6 NICK VOLK • FB So. • Frankenmuth, Mich. Ht. 5-10 • Wt. 238 Career Highlights: Has yet to see game action. Prep: Helped his team to Tri-Valley Conference Championships as a junior and senior. Personal: Born Nicholas Donald Volk on March 4, 1996 … Enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. ANTONIO WHITFIELD • RB Jr. • Canal Winchester, Ohio Ht.: 5-4 • Wt.: 160 Career Highlights: Walked onto the football team after his freshman season on the men's track and field team … Posted personal-best times of 6.97 seconds in the 60-meter dash and 11.11 seconds in the 100-meter dash. Prep: Attended Canal Winchester High School. Personal: Born Antonio Donte Whitfield on Feb. 17, 1994 … Enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, majoring in psychology. NEWCOMER KARAN HIGDON • RB Fr. • Sarasota, Fla. Ht.: 5-10 • Wt. 190 Prep: Rushed for 1,471 yards and 16 touchdowns his final two years of high school … Posted 565 yards as a senior, when he was limited by injury to six games … Aver- aged 6.7 yards per carry over the course of his career at Riverview High School. Redshirt junior running back Drake Johnson rushed 60 times for 361 yards and four touch- downs in 2014, but he suffered an ACL injury in the Ohio State game. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL