Michigan running back Blake Corum experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in 2022, coming incredibly close to being invited to the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York.
Corum went from one of the odds-on favorites to win the award to watching Michigan clinch the Big Ten title against Purdue on the sidelines, after a knee injury against Illinois that ended his season.
When the dust cleared, the Marshall, Virginia native wasn’t able to bring home the Doak Walker Award for the nation’s best running back, either, as that honor went to Bijan Robinson of Texas.
Judging by a recent stat from Pro Football Focus, however, Corum has nothing to hang his head about — his 2022 season was actually one of the greatest in recent college football history.
Corum’s Historically Great Stat
Pro Football Focus is a premium football scouting website that tracks each player’s individual plays, both with the ball and without the ball.
According to PFF statistics shared by SI.com, Corum record the fourth-highest graded season by any Power 5 conference player since the website began tracking stats back in 2014.
That means that the 5-foot-8, 210 pound running back’s season was historically great by all players’ standards, not just by running backs.
USC’s Caleb Williams ended up winning the Heisman Trophy and Corum was not invited, but it stands to reason that the Wolverines running back would have been a shoo-in if not for the way his season ended.
Corum finished with 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns on 247 carries for the 2022 season, an average of 5.9 yards per carry.
He sat out the team’s final two games against Ohio State and Purdue, and finished eighth in the country in rushing yards.
Corum finished seventh in Heisman voting.
Following Michigan’s Big Ten Championship victory, fellow running back Donovan Edwards gave Corum the following shoutout.
“Shoutout Blake Corum,” Edwards said after the title game. “Blake Corum is the best running back in college football. He deservedly needs the Heisman. If he didn’t get hurt, he would have easily won the Heisman. Shoutout Blake Corum, this is for you baby.”
On Saturday night following Williams’ Heisman win, former Michigan Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard also gave Corum a shoutout on his Twitter account, along with Tennessee’s standout QB Hendon Hooker.
The two players were the talk of college football for most of the season, but late season injuries derailed their respective chances at the award.
Another successful Heisman show in the books. Congrats to Caleb Williams. How Corum and Hooker did not receive enough votes to be on the stage is baffling. Enjoy your weekend and happy holidays.#heisman pic.twitter.com/gewIIZwqKI
— Desmond Howard (@DesmondHoward) December 11, 2022
Corum’s remarkable 2022 season ranks eighth all-time among Wolverines all-time rushing leaders, as shown in the chart below.
Corum’s full season 2022 highlights can be seen in the highlight video below.
Corum also retweeted the following tweet from Pro Football Focus, showcasing once again the historical greatness of his 2022 season.
While Edwards is the perfect fill-in for Corum as he recovers from injury, one thing’s for sure: Michigan, and college football fans, have never seen a running back quite like him.
PFF's pick to win the Heisman Trophy isn't even one of the four finalists ?@Chad_Maxwick gives out 20 of CFB's biggest awards ?https://t.co/aI7ldT1frc
— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 7, 2022
"He’s been the best player in college football this season, and it’s not particularly close.
Corum’s 95.9 grade isn’t only the highest among all players in the country, it’s one of the best we’ve ever seen from a Power Five player." https://t.co/xf3dE83vXg
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) December 8, 2022
