Michigan RB Christian Turner opts back in, practicing with team

Michigan football’s already deep running back room is deeper than expected, as Christian Turner has opted back into the 2020 season, U-M spokesperson David Ablauf confirmed with Maize n Brew Saturday morning..

The 5-foot-11, 203-pound redshirt sophomore opted out of the 2020 season back in August, becoming the first U-M player to do so due to the pandemic. But he has since deleted his announcement on Twitter and is back with the team as of last month.

Turner faces an uphill climb on the depth chart, as Zach Charbonnet, Hassan Haskins and Chris Evans all appear to be ahead of him. True freshman Blake Corum may even be ahead of him at this point because of the extra practices he’s had this offseason.

But you never know when injuries, or COVID, can hit your team, so it is really good news for Michigan to get Turner back. It could prove to be huge down the stretch of the season. Depth has never been more important, so Jim Harbaugh and company should be really excited to have him back.

Turner appeared in 10 games last season, compiling 171 rushing yards and one touchdown on 44 rushing attempts. He also contributed heavily on special teams.