Sherrone Moore and the Michigan Wolverines have walked into the 2025 season with unfulfilled dreams. The 2023 defending champions could not punch the CFP tickets last season. This season looks like a bust as well. Moore’s boys recently came up with back-to-back wins, yet their playoff hopes seem to be fading away. As Michigan fans were yet to make peace with this outcome, an injury rumor made their woes ten times worse. And it has to do with their star running back Justice Haynes.

On October 27, Chat Sports founder James T.Yonder stirred up some fresh fear for Moore and co. He posted a monologue stating, “We got some major Michigan football injury rumors out there. Justice Haynes, the best player on this team. Michigan football starting running back. A top-10 Heisman candidate. And maybe the best player in the Big Ten right now. Did he break his foot? The photo is circling all over the internet.”

For the Washington game, Haynes was listed as questionable, and finally, the running back stayed sidelined. But he then had a heroic comeback. Haynes made up for the missed time while setting the gridiron on fire against the Spartans. He came up with 26 carries for 152 yards and two touchdowns. But here comes the bad news. Yonder states, “Some people said he got up a little slow. Mrs. Haynes, apparently, reported on Facebook, posted a photo of Justice Haynes, clearly him, sitting in her classroom with a walking boot on his foot.”

He continued, “She put in the Facebook post that he told kids that he broke his foot, but he’ll be back for the Ohio State game, which is 33 days away.” If the picture is true, the Wolverines will have to do without Haynes for three games: Purdue, Northwestern, and Maryland. It’s going to be a tough job since Haynes is the one who fueled Michigan’s best rushing game vs MSU since the ‘90s. Haynes crossed the hundred yard mark for the sixth time in seven outings this season, the lone exception coming in the USC game, where injury cut his night short. It also marked his third multi-touchdown performance of the year.

Talking about the authenticity of the picture that is doing the rounds, here comes an update from the head coach himself. On Monday, October 27, Moore made an appearance on a radio show where he hinted at Haynes being on the injured list. Talking about the running back’s chances of playing against Purdue, Moore shared, “Yeah, we’ll see. We’ll see what he looks like as he goes through the week.”

Justice Haynes’ uphill battle amid Michigan’s slippery path to the playoffs

The Wolverines’ 31-20 win against the Spartans wasn’t that historic, but two players stole the spotlight. Moore’s running back duo, Haynes and Jordan Marshall. Both cleared 100 yards each. They scored three touchdowns combined, running for 276 yards in total.

Michigan’s fight for a playoff berth just got tougher. Despite stringing together two wins, the Wolverines’ CFP probability dipped from 14.9% to 14.3%, signaling the committee still isn’t convinced. Saturday’s matchup isn’t just another stop on the schedule. It’s proving ground for a Michigan squad aiming for Big Ten supremacy and a College Football Playoff ticket. 

At such a crucial time, Michigan can’t do without its running back star in Haynes. Back on September 20, he held the No.1 spot in the Big Ten in rushing yards as he ran for 537 yards. A month later, he still holds the same spot. Haynes’ total stats now stand at 857 yards, the chart-topper in the Big Ten, followed by Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson with 837 yards, and Rutgers’ Antwan Raymond with 831 yards. But looks like Moore must be bothered about something else. 

The Michigan head coach saw Haynes as someone who would end the Wolverines’ Heisman drought. Their last Heisman Trophy came in 1997 when defensive back/wide receiver Charles Woodson won the prestigious award. If skills are taken into consideration, Haynes is ten on ten. Facing one of the nation’s stingiest run defenses, Haynes bulldozed Wisconsin for 117 yards on 19 carries and punched in two more scores to fuel Michigan’s win.

He has delivered at least one big-play burst in every game this season. But talking about luck? Not that great. Haynes has already been sidelined for one game. Now, if the speculations come true, he will be limited for the Purdue game and the upcoming ones, too. Those missed chances could end up costing him ground in the Heisman race.