Despite being a Heisman Trophy candidate as a junior last season, Michigan football running back Blake Corum opted to forgo the NFL draft to return for his senior year and compete for a national championship in what is likely his final season.
He has helped the Wolverines do just that.
Corum, Michigan 's all-time leader for rushing touchdowns, will help lead the No. 1 Wolverines (14-0, 9-0 Big Ten) against No. 2 Washington (14-0, 9-0 Pac-12) in the national championship game in Houston on Monday.
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The 5-foot-8, 213-pound workhorse should have plenty of NFL suitors, as he has run for 3,506 career yards and 56 touchdowns in his four seasons in Ann Arbor. Corum actually has another year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it would be a surprise to see him return for a fifth season given his vast experience already and relatively short shelf life for running backs in the NFL.
While Corum doesn't possess the ideal frame of other running back prospects in this draft class, he has shown he can handle a large workload, with over 230 carries in each of the past two seasons. Here's where Corum stands in various mock drafts before what is likely his final collegiate game:
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Corum has not officially entered the 2024 NFL Draft, although it's unlikely he'll return for a fifth season of college football.
Corum was on the draft radar last season after being named an unanimous All-American, but a late-season injury against Illinois ended his season as he was forced to sit the Big Ten Championship and the College Football Playoff semifinal.
Before the national championship, Corum explained his decision to return for what's expected to be his final season.
"I wanted to leave a legacy, be remembered forever, and not just for scoring some touchdowns," he told reporters in Houston. "I wanted to leave a bigger legacy on and off the field. That's one of the main reasons of coming back. One of the other main reasons was being here."
Here are recent where NFL draft experts are projecting Corum to be selected:
The Messenger: No. 82 overall
Josh Edwards, CBS Sports: No. 87 overall
Blake Brockermeyer, 247Sports: No. 39 overall
The Draft Network: No. 31 overall
The Sporting News: No. 42 overall
The Athletic: No. 50 overall
Here are Corum's season-by-season stats leading up to the national championship:
2020:26 carries for 77 yards and two touchdowns; five receptions for 73 yards
2021:144 carries for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns; 24 receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown
2022:247 carries for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns; 11 receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown
2023:237 carries for 1,111 yards and 25 touchdowns; 16 receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Blake Corum NFL draft projections: Stats, more to know for Michigan RB
