RB Karan Higdon, Michigan

5’9” – 206 lbs. – 4.49
Carried the ball just eleven times over three appearances as a freshman, then posted 72-425-6 the following year. Saw his role more than double to 164-994-11, then enjoyed a 224-1,178-10 campaign to conclude his career with the Wolverines. Took most of his carries out of the shotgun. A no-nonsense runner who knows when it’s time to get behind his pads and get upfield as quickly as possible. Short-strider who reaches full speed in a hurry and does a good job of identifying and squirting through tight spaces and falling/diving forward for a few yards as a between-the-tackles runner. Good balance and a physical approach; doesn’t shy away from contact. Unfortunately, straightforward approach is inhibited by his lack of ideal size. Relatively more developed in his upper body and appears to lack the leg drive to push the pile after contact; however, does flash the ability to break arm tackles, especially when he’s in the open field. Pretty agile runner who did a good job of making something out of nothing on plays in which he was faced with penetration and had to escape; able to bounce runs outside, but doesn’t do so unless necessary. Played behind a pretty disappointing offensive line this past year and made the most of it, often picking up a few yards when a player less suited to improvisation would have been tackled for a loss. Also has solid ball security, having fumbled only three times over nearly five-hundred career touches. Used very sparingly as a receiver, catching just sixteen career passes over four years. Was typically retained as an additional blocker rather than running routes. Physical and likes to stick his nose in as a pass protector; alert to scan and locate his assignment. However, also appears to lack the lower-body strength to absorb contact in blitz pickup, getting knocked off-balance too easily. A prospect with two years of pretty impressive production as a pure runner, he combines solid vision, quickness, and a physical approach to running and blocking, but from a purely physical and athletic standpoint, can’t really boast exceptional size, power, or speed. Consequently, appears likely to slip into the mid- or even late-rounds as a reserve/rotational back, particularly because he hasn’t demonstrated the ability to function as a receiver out of the backfield. The type of prospect you root for.