“We don’t wear red”: Alabama transfer RB Justice Haynes gets blunt on Ohio State rivalry following Michigan move 

Justice Haynes is one of the weapons Michigan will deploy in its running game next season. The running back, who spent the first two seasons of his college football career at Alabama, was acquired by the Wolverines via the transfer portal in the winter.

Haynes is already engulfed in the fierce rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State. In an exclusive interview with On3, the running back expressed his feelings on arguably the biggest rivalry game in America.

“We don’t like Ohio State. We don’t wear red,” Haynes said.

The Wolverines' coach Sherrone Moore commented on the importance of the age-old rivalry encounter known as “The Game” in his appearance on “Next Up with Adam Breneman” in February. It's undoubtedly the most anticipated game on both teams' annual schedules.

"We think about The Game 365 days a year,” Moore said. "So, that game is always on our mind and it will always stay like that.”

Michigan has won the last four encounters of the rivalry, staging a 13-10 upset in the last edition. The Wolverines will look to continue the streak in November when they face off in Ann Arbor, and Justice Haynes is aiming to play a crucial part in his first appearance in the rivalry.

Justice Haynes says Sherrone Moore reminds him of Nick Saban

Justice Haynes played his freshman season at Alabama under Nick Saban. He has a good understanding of what it takes to play under the seven-time national championship winner. Now at Michigan, the running back is seeing some shade of Saban in Sherrone Moore.

“He reminds me of a young Coach Saban in a lot of ways,” Haynes told On3. “He’s going to kick it with you. He’s going to have fun with you. But then there is also a time to be serious and a time to be disciplined. Everything is discipline-oriented around there.

“We train differently from anyone else in the country. We work harder than anyone in the country, and we’re all about running the ball and stopping the run. That’s what we pride ourselves on, and that’s ultimately what led to my decision. I knew they were going to value the running back position, and I knew I could thrive in the offense.”

Sherrone Moore enters his second season as head coach in 2025 after replacing Jim Harbaugh at Michigan last season. After a disappointing inaugural year with an 8-5 finish, the coach is looking to change the tide next season, and Justice Haynes is bound to play a crucial role.