Yes, Blake Corum Is A Legitimate Heisman Trophy Candidate

The junior running back is off to a hot start once again, placing himself among the top five of all running backs in several critical areas.

Three weeks into the 2021 season, Michigan's Blake Corum was starting to be talked about as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate. In the opening game against Western Michigan, Corum rushed for 111 yards and one touchdown on just 14 carries. The following week in a primetime matchup against Washington, Corum went off for 171 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. When Northern Illinois came to Ann Arbor for a week three matchup, Corum went off again - finishing the afternoon with 125 yards and three more touchdowns on just 13 carries.

A mid-season injury, along with splitting reps with former U-M running back Hassan Haskins, would ultimately cool the Heisman talk for Corum in 2021. 

Fast forward to 2022, and Blake Corum's name is once again being mentioned as a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate heading into week six - as it should be. 

After another solid performance on the road against Iowa where he rushed for 133 yards and one touchdown on 29 attempts, Corum now ranks No. 12 nationally in yards per carry (6.57), No. 6 in rushing yards per game (122.2), No. 4 in total rushing yards (611) and No. 1 in rushing touchdowns (10). 

Put simply, he's one of the most productive players in the country at any position - and yes, he's a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate. As the odds in Vegas continue to climb for Corum's potential Heisman campaign, the veteran running back says he remains focused on the task at hand. 

"Obviously I think about it a little bit, but it’s really just a day-by-day thing to me," said Corum. "I’m ready for Indiana now. Like, what can I do this week that can really put me in that talk? What can I do the week after that really puts me in that talk? So obviously it crosses my mind a little bit, but I wouldn’t say it crosses my mind a lot."

“At the end of the day, if you don’t win the Heisman at the end of the year, it don’t matter anyway. You know, obviously, it’s cool to go to New York or wherever it may be, but I’m focused on the team, man. I’m trying to go back to the College Football Playoff and win it all this year.”

Corum's talent certainly isn't lost on head coach Jim Harbaugh, either. Meeting with the media last week, Harbaugh couldn't say enough about his junior running back. 

"Blake can get so close to a defender, within inches, and then make a slight move where somebody that close doesn't even touch him," Harbaugh explained. "Some backs will make the cut two yards away, or a yard away...Blake Corum gets to the point where he can smell their breath and then make a slight, six-inch cut and miss by the narrowest of margins.

"It's incredible."