Blake Corum 2024 Dynasty Rookie Profile

Blake Corum 2024 Dynasty Rookie Draft Profile

Position: RB

School: Michigan 

Class: Senior

Date of Birth: November 25, 2000

Height: 5-8  Weight: 205 lbs

Athletic Testing

Bio

Blake Corum played high school football at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, Maryland. There, he dominated with more than 2,600 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns over his final two seasons. He was the state’s Gatorade Player of the year in 2019. Corum was a four-star prospect and the No. 12 ranked running back in the 2020 recruiting class. He chose to attend Michigan over offers from Ohio State, Georgia, LSU, Boston College, North Carolina, Ole Miss, and others. Corum played in six games as a freshman, carrying the ball 26 times for 77 yards and two touchdowns. He also contributed on special teams, returning five kickoffs for 96 yards. 

Corum saw a greater opportunity in 2021, working behind Hassan Haskins as Michigan’s No. 2 running back. Corum toted the rock 144 times for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding another 141 yards and a score on 24 receptions. He was again active on special teams, handling 12 kicks for 304 yards. With Haskins departing for the NFL in 2022, it was Corum’s turn to lead the Michigan backfield. He took full advantage of the opportunity, amassing 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns on 247 carries. That included a five touchdown outing against UConn. Despite the increased role on the ground, his usage in the passing game actually regressed, resulting in just 11 receptions for 80 yards and a score.

Unfortunately, his season was cut short by a late-season knee injury that required surgery. Still, Corum was recognized for his great year with All-American honors and a seventh-place finish in the Heisman Trophy voting. 

Corum built off his breakout campaign with another strong performance as a senior in 2023. He led the Wolverines with 1,245 yards on 258 rushes with an incredible 27 touchdowns. He added another 117 yards and a score on 16 receptions. Not only did Corum set the Michigan single-season rushing touchdown record but he also overtook Anthony Thomas as the school’s all-time leader in career rushing touchdowns (58) and total touchdowns (61), as well as most points scored in a career (356), per the school’s website. 

Corum capped off the season with 134 yards and two touchdowns in Michigan’s National Championship win over Washington. He was named the offensive MVP of the game. Corum couldn’t go out without setting one more record, though. He and backfield mate Donovan Edwards teamed up to become the first duo to each rush for over 100 yards in a National Championship game. 

College Stats

Blake Corum College Stats Courtesy of sports-reference

Positives

+Vision 

+Patience 

+Change of direction 

+Experience as a kick returner 

+43.8% touchdown share

+61 career touchdowns 

+More than 3,600 rushing yards over last three seasons 

Negatives

-Lacks power/effectiveness in short-yardage situations 

-Lacks breakaway speed 

-Older prospect 

-Underwhelming passing game usage/production 

-6.2% reception share

Highlight Reel

Archetype: One-Cut Slasher

NFL Comp: Ray Rice

Yards Per-Formance Grade: 72.7 (80th-percentile)

Draft Projection: Second Round

Bottom Line:

Blake Corum is one of the better running backs in the 2024 NFL Draft class. He is a natural runner who displays good patience, vision, and discipline behind the line of scrimmage. He uses his blockers well to work his way to the second level of a defense but he is also creative enough to make something happen on his own as well. Corum is a high-energy runner who has requisite speed plus exceptional lateral agility and acceleration. At Michigan, Corum gained experience in both zone and gap schemes so he will be a fit in just about any offense that drafts him.

While Corum has the toughness and willingness to get physical, he wasn’t the most effective short-yardage and goal line guy in college. He was also not used a whole lot in the passing game. However, Corum flashed skill and upside in terms of both hands and route running ability. Perhaps that is an area of his game that he will be able to expand on at the next level.

In the NFL, Blake Corum projects as a mid-level starter/high end RB2 who can beef up a backfield in need of a plug-and-play running back. He is likely to come off the board in the second round of the NFL Draft with a real shot to be the first running back drafted. Draft capital and landing spot will determine his dynasty ADP, but Corum is looking like a top-5 back in the class and could find his way into the back-end of the first round of rookie drafts.

NEXT: Jalen McMillan 2024 Dynasty Rookie Profile

Resources: DLF, PlayerProfiler, PFN, PFF, TDN

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