Ex-Oaks Christian running back Zach Charbonnet making an impact at Michigan

The headline on the Detroit News story about former Oaks Christian running back Zach Charbonnet revealed how things have been going in the offseason for the sophomore at Michigan.

It reads, “‘Chiseled’ Zach Charbonnet leads promising Michigan running back group.”

“Zach is playing at such a high level,” offensive coordinator Josh Gattis told the News via videoconference Wednesday. “It’s great to see Zach out there being who he is. Everyone knows Zach’s tough. He battled through some injuries in high school. He came in a little banged up, needed to get cleaned up. Then he battled through a number of different injuries last year.

“To see a guy that was a true freshman battle through adversity and injuries and still play the full season says a lot, but then he’s been able to spend this offseason focusing on his body. First and foremost, the dude is chiseled as can be. He takes such great [care] of his body and it’s really impressive. He’s always in the weight room.”

Charbonnet, 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, rushed for 726 yards and scored 11 touchdowns as a freshman. He rushed for 4,741 yards during his career at Oaks Christian and was one of the top running back recruits in the country.

“He’s so mature about his approach and his preparation to get his body feeling the best he can be and playing at the highest level, and now that he’s feeling great, now he reminds you of the player that he was in high school,” Gattis said.