Blake Corum returning to Michigan for 2023 season

He’s baaaaaaaaaaack.

Announced on The Rich Eisen Show Monday afternoon, Michigan Wolverines running back Blake Corum is forgoing the NFL Draft and is returning to Ann Arbor for the 2023 season.

The soon-to-be senior played an integral part in Michigan’s offensive this past season. He racked up 1,463 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns to go along with 11 receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown.

Corum won a few of Michigan’s postseason awards — including team MVP and the hardest working player — but he didn’t win the Heisman Trophy in large part due to a knee injury sustained in the game against Illinois. He revealed on The Rich Eisen Show he suffered a hyperextended knee, torn meniscus and sprained MCL.

Had he put up big numbers against Ohio State and in the Big Ten Championship against Purdue, he would’ve likely had a solid shot at the Heisman. It was an unfortunate ending to a fabulous season, but he will have another shot at the Heisman and more in 2023.

Michigan will once again have one of the best one-two punches at the running back position not only in the Big Ten, but in all of college football next season with Corum and Donovan Edwards, who nearly ran for 1,000 yards this past season as well. The Wolverines will also have sophomore CJ Stokes and converted linebacker Kalel Mullings as significant contributors in the running back room, to go along with incoming true freshmen Cole Cabana and Benjamin Hall.

Corum isn’t the first Wolverine to announce he is coming back next season, as fifth-year senior cornerback Mike Sainristil announced last month he will also be back in Ann Arbor for the 2023 season. Defensive lineman Kris Jenkins, who quietly put up a good season, is also coming back.

But there have been a few players to announce their decision to head to the NFL Draft. DJ Turner declared last week, and Luke Schoonmaker announced Monday morning he is also heading to the draft.

There are a handful of players left with decisions to make, but Valiant is doing their best to try and get them to stay with their “One More Year” NIL fund that was announced Sunday afternoon. Perhaps this helped sway Corum to stay, and hopefully it’ll convince players like Zak Zinter, Trevor Keegan, Cornelius Johnson and others to stick around as well.

Corum returning is huge news for Michigan. With J.J. McCarthy still at quarterback, the two-headed monster at running back, and several other key players on both sides of the ball returning, the Wolverines should be among the teams with a legitimate shot at winning the National Championship in 2023.