Reports: Michigan RB Blake Corum's season is over due to knee injury suffered vs. Illinois

Star Michigan running back Blake Corum’s season appears to be over.

According to reports from the NFL Network and The Athletic, Corum is out for the rest of the season and will have surgery on his left knee. The type of surgery was not disclosed.

Corum injured his knee late in the first half of Michigan’s win over Illinois in Week 12. His left knee appeared to hyperextend when he got hit low. Corum attempted to return to the game but eventually ended the game on the sidelines.

He attempted to play against Ohio State with a brace on his knee but had just two carries as it was clear he was not his normal self.

Donovan Edwards saw the bulk of the rushing workload for the Wolverines’ in their big win over the Buckeyes and broke two long touchdown runs. Those runs helped propel Michigan to a 22-point win and put the Wolverines in position to make the College Football Playoff. Michigan is assuredly in with a win over Purdue on Saturday in the Big Ten title game and seems likely to make it even with a loss.

Corum, a junior, is set to finish the 2022 season with 247 carries for 1,463 yards and 19 total touchdowns. He will likely receive some Heisman votes despite the injury. When healthy, Corum was the engine that made the Michigan offense hum. Edwards has just 92 carries and C.J. Stokes has just 55 on the season.

The Illinois game was the eighth consecutive game over 100 rushing yards for Corum. After he received no more than 13 carries in each of Michigan’s three non-conference games, he got over 20 carries in seven Big Ten games. Corum opened Big Ten play with 30 carries for 243 yards in a win over Maryland and then had no fewer than 25 carries over Michigan’s first five Big Ten games.

Corum rushed for 952 yards on 141 carries as a sophomore in 2021 as Michigan made the College Football Playoff. Since this was his third year at Michigan, he’s eligible to declare for the 2023 NFL draft.