Michigan football offensive star will miss time to undergo foot surgery

Early last week, head coach Sherrone Moore acknowledged on his weekly radio show that Haynes was seemingly battling through an injury that was different from the rib/side injury that forced him to sit out the Washington game on Oct. 18.

Speculation then began to swirl across social media that Haynes injured his foot at some point during the MSU game on Oct. 25 in East Lansing. Zenitz' report doesn't confirm that, but Haynes was seen limping off the field after a play in the second half in which he fumbled the ball in the win over the Spartans.

According to the report from Zenitz, the timetable for his recovery is to be determined but that the team hopes he will be able to return to game action at some point this season.

Haynes leads all Power 4 running backs with an average of 122 yards per game, and despite missing two full games, the Alabama transfer is still in the top 10 in rushing in all of college football with 857 yards to go along with 10 touchdowns.

With the NFL potentially on the table for Haynes next year, for the sake of his long-term future, it may be best to proceed with caution as a return from injury too soon could put him at risk. At the same time, if Haynes is given clearance from team doctors to return this season, it's hard to imagine him not trying to give it a go if possible if that means helping his team potentially make the College Football Playoff.

In the meantime, running back Jordan Marshall will have to continue to shoulder the load in Haynes' absense in the Michigan backfield. Against Purdue, Marshall posted a career game with 185 yards on 25 carries and three scores. Against Washington, Marshall tallied 133 yards on 25 carries and two scores before going for 110 yards on the ground and a touchdown against the Spartans.

Beyond that, Bryson Kuzdal and Jasper Parker have spared Marshall in limited action.

Michigan is on a bye week before heading to Wrigley Field to take on Northwestern on Nov. 15.