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3 Michigan football players that must step up to save Jim Harbaugh’s job

By Ethan Lee

Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara talks to head coach Jim Harbaugh during the first half against Penn State at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020.
Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara talks to head coach Jim Harbaugh during the first half against Penn State at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020. /
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Oct 31, 2020; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Hassan Haskins (25) rushes in the second half against the Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 31, 2020; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Hassan Haskins (25) rushes in the second half against the Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

If Jim Harbaugh wants to continue coaching in Ann Arbor, the Michigan Wolverines will need to show significant improvement in 2021.

2020 was a weird season for many teams, but it was a very rough one for Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines. They got off to a strong start with a 49-24 win over Minnesota, but then lost three straight games and finished the year with a meager 2-4 record.

That sort of season is bad for just about everyone, but it’s especially awful for teams like Michigan whose fans tend to have fairly lofty expectations.

Harbaugh enters into 2021 right on the hot seat. If he hopes to be able to keep his job beyond this year, the Wolverines will need to show a considerable amount of improvement throughout the season.

He’s going to need to win some games.

To do that, some key players will need to play at an elevated level this year. Some of these guys are already great and have potential to be even better. Some of these guys need to show that they can play at a high level.

Michigan football: 3 Wolverines that must step up in 2021

Wolverines . Hassan Haskins. 3. player. 811. . Running back

Hassan Haskins has shown plenty of potential for the Wolverines

The Michigan Wolverines have been able to rely on Hassan Haskins to be a consistent contributor at running back. But, if Michigan is going to be a consistent winner in 2021, the Wolverines will need their reliable running back to become more of a star in an offense that has been far from exciting over the past few years.

Haskins was Michigan’s leading rusher in 2020. The Wolverines didn’t really have much of an offense to celebrate during the season that was shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, but Haskins was able to gain 6.1 yards per carry and scored six touchdowns in the same number of games. He ran for a total of 375 yards in 2020.

Back in 2019, Haskins was the second-leading rusher for the Wolverines as he worked well with Zach Charbonnet. During his sophomore season, Haskins ran for 622 yards and scored four touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards per carry.

Michigan’s running back has demonstrated that he can help lead the Wolverines in 2021. Now he’s got the chance to actually do it as they will certainly need Haskins to be able to succeed this coming season.

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