Five (or six) Reasons to Not Be Worried About Chris Evans' Absence 'At This Time'

As has been reported by numerous outlets including Chris Evans himself on Twitter, the top returning running back for 2019 is not with the program 'at this time'. That leaves a glaring hole at the top of the depth chart for the position. Should we as fans be a little worried? Many will respond with a resounding 'Yes!'. I, on the other hand, will gladly tell you to not get your panties in a bunch. Just pick out that wedgie and move on.

Of course, I am not like many fans. I am eternally optimistic when it comes to the Jim Harbaugh run Michigan Football Program. And to be honest, I just don't care what detractors might think. Many of them are just trolls looking to ruin a rival fan's day. It's petty and stupid. It's childish. And for god's sake I hope most of you out there have something better to do with your time than worry about one kid's academic issues and how that might effect your water cooler trash talk at work next fall.

So, without further adieu, I give you five reasons to not be worried about Chris Evans' current absence from the team:

1. Timing - In the grand scheme things, it is indeed a shame that Evans will probably miss out on team winter workouts with strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert as well as spring practice. The latter of which should begin sometime next month. However, as of right now there are seven months before the 2019 season begins and plenty of opportunity for Evans to correct his 'academic issues'. Of course, this does depend on how bad they actually are right now, but my guess is that it is not an extreme case where he is failing all his classes across the board. That would be the worst-case scenario which would probably lead to his dismissal altogether. The truth is that chances are good that this is something he can work out by the end of the current semester and be implemented back into the program before summer workouts begin, depending on his own personal commitment to the problem. It could even be a situation that is corrected before spring practice begins next month, though that is admittedly unlikely. But even if he doesn't get his grades up by the end of April, he will still have at least one summer semester to get it corrected before training camp even begins. So I, at the moment, am positive that Evans will work things out and be on the field practicing come August. 
2. Depth - I know most people would argue that there is virtually no depth at running back to speak of going into spring practice. No, there isn't much proven talent at the moment, but that's not to say that the Wolverines are short on bodies to throw in the hopper. Tru Wilson, who nearly averaged six yards per carry last year, is currently sitting at the top of the depth chart while Evans is removed. He might not be the most athletically gifted player on the team, but he has shown enough to make one think that he can handle a little more work down the road. There is also Christian Turner, the redshirt freshman that got some limited action in his first season with the team. There has been some buzz about him for a few months now and he did show some play-making ability against Florida in the Peach Bowl, though his long first quarter touchdown run was called back due to a penalty. At any rate, it's hard to not get a little excited about his potential as a sub in the backfield. Ben Mason is the guy that immediately comes to mind in short-yardage situations. He was seemingly automatic for most the 2018 season when the team needed a yard or two. He also scored seven touchdowns as a result of his ability to not be stopped for a loss. Another name that comes to mind that many are not considering, is Michael Barrett. He was a 3-Star prospect out of Georgia in the class of 2018. He ran all over some very good competition throughout his high school career while playing quarterback in a run-heavy spread option system. He had also played linebacker and was initially being tried out there when he first got to Ann Arbor. He has since moved to offense during the bowl practices and I think it is fair to assume that he will be given an opportunity to showcase his skills as a ball-carrier this spring. He measures in at 6'0"/224lbs, so he is built like a Michigan running back. There were also plenty of other good programs that offered him, including LSU, Michigan State, Nebraska, Tennessee, and South Carolina.  So, like Turner, I believe he too has a lot of upside. The same thing can be said for Hassan Haskins, another 2018 recruit that was being looked at as a possible option at linebacker before being moved over to offense during bowl practices. Harbaugh has said that he might actually have some the best natural running ability on the roster despite him being a raw 3-Star prospect. His size (6'1"/212lbs) suggests that he could be built for the position too. The biggest ace in the hole that the Wolverines might have though, is newly signed freshman Zach Charbonnet. He is already enrolled in school and will be fully participating in offseason workouts. The 6'2"/215lb California product is considered by many scouts and recruiting analysts to be teetering on 5-Star status. He was the second player selected for the Army All-American Game, though he ultimately did not play due to a nagging injury issue. If he had, he might have gained that fifth star to his recruiting profile. Even with Evans in the lineup, Charbonnet was expected to compete for playing time. Now, the door is wide open for him to step into the starting lineup sooner rather than later. Of all the possibilities, he is the one that excites coaches the most. One other new recruit that comes to mind when considering the running back position is 4-Star Giles Jackson. He is mostly thought to be more of a slot receiver, but he will get some looks at running back too. Realistically, he might possess the best short-area quickness on the team with a sub four second shuttle time, as well as a 4.4 forty. Unfortunately, he will not be joining the team until June. In all, there are SEVEN viable candidates that will be competing for reps at running back. And that brings us to our next reason to not be worried here:
3. Reps - This is a bit of a two-sided coin here, but I believe the positive far outweighs the negative. Yes, Chris Evans himself will be missing out on a lot of workout and practice time to get ready for the upcoming season. This is especially true with new coordinator Josh Gattis implementing his system. On the other hand, this will provide more opportunity for the plethora of younger guys on the roster to get comfortable and learn it themselves. Let's face it, if Evans was in the picture, reps would be extremely limited for most of these freshman and sophomore players. Michigan could've ultimately missed out on the right guy for the job due to the sheer number of players waiting for a chance to prove themselves. I believe this is a good thing for the immediate future of the offense.
4. Receivers - Michigan is loaded at receiver. So much in fact, that Gattis could not wait to get to Ann Arbor. And since his arrival he has been preaching about getting 'speed in space'. There is no doubt that he is familiar with the likes of Donovan Peoples-Jones, Nico Collins, and Tarik Black. All three had offers to play at 'Bama, as did incoming freshman Cornellius Johnson. The talent does not stop there though, as Oliver Martin and Ronnie Bell have both shown the ability to get open and make plays when given the chance. In other words, the offense has a lot of players it would like to get the ball to downfield, and none of them are running backs. I don't think it would be shocking to see the team actually throw the ball more than it runs it in 2019, especially considering the presence of both Sean McKeon and Nick Eubanks both returning at tight end as well. Eubanks actually led the team with nearly 20 yards per catch last year. A big boost in production from him should be expected. Another name to keep an eye out for is Mustapha Muhammad. He was the top tight end target for Michigan in 2018. He too had an offer from 'Bama. If you are keeping count, that is nine other players on offense that the team will look to for production.  
5. Shea Patterson - I've heard some grumbling from some fans about Patterson and their desire to see more McCaffrey. I'm not sure what they are thinking here. Yes, McCaffrey has looked solid in limited mop up duty before he broke his collarbone, but how can one overlook the production that Patterson brought to the position in 2018? It was his first year in Ann Arbor and the kid was outstanding all year long, completing 64.6% of his passes for 2600 yards, 22 touchdowns, and only seven INT's. His QB rating was 149.85. Any way you dice it, he was a Top 25 passer - second in the Big Ten. Even in the three losses he stood out from the crowd. Now, when you consider all the weapons at receiver that I've mentioned above, it's hard not to imagine Patterson having a monster season in 2019. And by monster I mean a 3,000+ yard season with close to 30 TD's through the air. Oh, and he can run the ball, averaging over 3.5 yards per carry. It's not a stretch to think that Gattis will look to use his athleticism a little more if the team is without a dominant back behind him. 

Bonus: The offensive line returns four out of five starters. If they continue to improve as they have over the last couple years, then we should see some better production in the running game with all the talent that is on this roster. They will average somewhere in the realm of 6'4" and 324 lbs across the line, if that means anything to you. It does to me. Most D-lines won't be able to handle that kind of mass. There is also a good amount of depth along the line, finally. That is something that could be said in the last decade or two.