COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Michigan's Higdon ponders the NFL draft

Monday
Jan 1, 2018 at 6:16 PM Jan 1, 2018 at 6:16 PM

Riverview High grad led Wolverines in rushing this season and in Outback Bowl

Dennis Maffezzoli @maffsports

TAMPA

While he spoke about beginning the preparation for his senior year in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Karan Higdon has also started the process of looking into the NFL.

Higdon, a junior running back out of Riverview High, led Michigan in rushing this season, including a game-high 65 yards in the Wolverines’ 26-19 loss to South Carolina on Monday in the Outback Bowl in front of 45,687 fans, including plenty of family members and friends, at Raymond James Stadium.

Higdon, who had no thoughts of sitting out the bowl game, plans to meet with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh soon to discuss his options, which include leaving college a year early to become eligible for the 2018 NFL Draft.

“Most definitely, I’m eligible,” Higdon said. “It’s a discussion I’ll have with Coach Harbaugh and I’ll make a decision from there.”

Higdon said he does not have a timetable for an announcement either way.

“Not at all,” he said. “We’ve definitely talked about it. I was strictly focused on this game and whatever happens happens.”

Monday's Outback Bowl was an uneven game for Higdon, who gained 65 yards on 17 carries, but fell six yards short of becoming the first Michigan running back to gain 1,000 yards in a season since Fitzgerald Toussaint in 2011.

Higdon set up the Wolverines’ only touchdown with his longest run of the game, a 16-yard pitch to the left side where he eluded the tackle of Gamecocks’ safety Chris Lammons before being knocked out of bounds at the 1-yard line.

Higdon also missed blocks on a couple of pass plays that led to sacks of Michigan quarterback Brandon Peters. However, his most egregious error came during the following series.

With Michigan up 16-3, Higdon was held up by 6-foot-5, 312-pound defensive lineman Ulric Jones and had the ball jarred loose. Lammons recovered on the South Carolina 4-yard line, preventing the Wolverines from extending their lead.

“It was a hard run. They were holding me up,” Higdon said. “I was trying to get down, couldn’t do it. I’ve got to do better. I’ll learn from it. I just got loose with the ball and made a mistake I can’t make.”

It was those kinds of miscues that turned a promising 8-2 season for the Wolverines into an 8-5 finish after three straight losses to Wisconsin, Ohio State and the Gamecocks to end the season.

“It was definitely a learning season,” Higdon said. “We learned a lot about ourselves and about our program, our coaches, our players. Going into next year, we’ve got to put it all together. We know where our flaws are and where we are excelling and we’ve got to capitalize on those things and fix the other things.”

About himself, Higdon learned, “I’m a fighter. I knew that. Today really showed me that. A lot of guys who fumble in a key possession like that and get a touchdown taken away, there were a lot of things I was going through personally, but I kept going. I was cramping and I kept going. I also learned my team is behind me 110 percent. I love that. I’m looking forward to next year.”

The question now becomes where will Higdon be next year?

A four-star recruit out of Riverview, he opted for Michigan over Iowa. After not starting but appearing in 15 games his freshman and sophomore seasons, Higdon made his eighth start of the season Monday. His 994 yards came on 164 carries, a 6.1 average.

The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder had 200-yard games against Indiana and Minnesota, the first by a Wolverine back since Mike Hart in 2007. Higdon ripped off runs of 77, 59, 49 and 36 this season. One of his team-best 11 touchdowns was the only score in overtime in a 27-20 victory over the Hoosiers. He also caught eight passes for 131 yards, giving him a team-high 1,125 total yards this season.

The fumble lost Monday was only his second of the season.

“I’ve got to go hard in everything I do,” Higdon said. “I’ve got to remember this game. I’ve got to remember this feeling I have right now. I have to remember falling six yards short. I’ve got to keep that with me. I’ve got to remember the fire and enthusiasm we came out with and how it died down. I’ve got to remember the fumble. There’s a lot that’s going to be in my mind throughout this offseason.”

Including whether or not to make himself eligible for the NFL Draft.

 

Monday
Jan 1, 2018 at 6:16 PM Jan 1, 2018 at 6:16 PM

Riverview High grad led Wolverines in rushing this season and in Outback Bowl

Dennis Maffezzoli @maffsports

TAMPA

While he spoke about beginning the preparation for his senior year in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Karan Higdon has also started the process of looking into the NFL.

Higdon, a junior running back out of Riverview High, led Michigan in rushing this season, including a game-high 65 yards in the Wolverines’ 26-19 loss to South Carolina on Monday in the Outback Bowl in front of 45,687 fans, including plenty of family members and friends, at Raymond James Stadium.

Higdon, who had no thoughts of sitting out the bowl game, plans to meet with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh soon to discuss his options, which include leaving college a year early to become eligible for the 2018 NFL Draft.

“Most definitely, I’m eligible,” Higdon said. “It’s a discussion I’ll have with Coach Harbaugh and I’ll make a decision from there.”

Higdon said he does not have a timetable for an announcement either way.

“Not at all,” he said. “We’ve definitely talked about it. I was strictly focused on this game and whatever happens happens.”

Monday's Outback Bowl was an uneven game for Higdon, who gained 65 yards on 17 carries, but fell six yards short of becoming the first Michigan running back to gain 1,000 yards in a season since Fitzgerald Toussaint in 2011.

Higdon set up the Wolverines’ only touchdown with his longest run of the game, a 16-yard pitch to the left side where he eluded the tackle of Gamecocks’ safety Chris Lammons before being knocked out of bounds at the 1-yard line.

Higdon also missed blocks on a couple of pass plays that led to sacks of Michigan quarterback Brandon Peters. However, his most egregious error came during the following series.

With Michigan up 16-3, Higdon was held up by 6-foot-5, 312-pound defensive lineman Ulric Jones and had the ball jarred loose. Lammons recovered on the South Carolina 4-yard line, preventing the Wolverines from extending their lead.

“It was a hard run. They were holding me up,” Higdon said. “I was trying to get down, couldn’t do it. I’ve got to do better. I’ll learn from it. I just got loose with the ball and made a mistake I can’t make.”

It was those kinds of miscues that turned a promising 8-2 season for the Wolverines into an 8-5 finish after three straight losses to Wisconsin, Ohio State and the Gamecocks to end the season.

“It was definitely a learning season,” Higdon said. “We learned a lot about ourselves and about our program, our coaches, our players. Going into next year, we’ve got to put it all together. We know where our flaws are and where we are excelling and we’ve got to capitalize on those things and fix the other things.”

About himself, Higdon learned, “I’m a fighter. I knew that. Today really showed me that. A lot of guys who fumble in a key possession like that and get a touchdown taken away, there were a lot of things I was going through personally, but I kept going. I was cramping and I kept going. I also learned my team is behind me 110 percent. I love that. I’m looking forward to next year.”

The question now becomes where will Higdon be next year?

A four-star recruit out of Riverview, he opted for Michigan over Iowa. After not starting but appearing in 15 games his freshman and sophomore seasons, Higdon made his eighth start of the season Monday. His 994 yards came on 164 carries, a 6.1 average.

The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder had 200-yard games against Indiana and Minnesota, the first by a Wolverine back since Mike Hart in 2007. Higdon ripped off runs of 77, 59, 49 and 36 this season. One of his team-best 11 touchdowns was the only score in overtime in a 27-20 victory over the Hoosiers. He also caught eight passes for 131 yards, giving him a team-high 1,125 total yards this season.

The fumble lost Monday was only his second of the season.

“I’ve got to go hard in everything I do,” Higdon said. “I’ve got to remember this game. I’ve got to remember this feeling I have right now. I have to remember falling six yards short. I’ve got to keep that with me. I’ve got to remember the fire and enthusiasm we came out with and how it died down. I’ve got to remember the fumble. There’s a lot that’s going to be in my mind throughout this offseason.”

Including whether or not to make himself eligible for the NFL Draft.

 

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