Explosive downhill back who was on a monster pace when his foot gave out. Haynes averaged 7.1 yards on 121 carries at Michigan in 2025 — 857 yards and 10 touchdowns in seven games — before the season-ending injury, then came home to Georgia (he is a Buford native) as Georgia Tech's offensive centerpiece. The former five-star, No. 25 overall recruit has never had the workload the talent deserves: three seasons, three programs, and a career high of 121 carries. That is the tension in the whole profile. The per-touch numbers are elite and the mock momentum is real — consensus around Round 5 and climbing fast, with ESPN calling him a candidate to burst into the top tier — but he has never proven he can shoulder a 250-attempt load, the foot has to check out, and running back position value caps the ceiling regardless. Day 3 grade with the burst to beat it; a full healthy Tech season is the missing exhibit.
Ceiling · 8.1
Projected 2026 starter (RB1) — real opportunity to climb; close to ceiling (+0.3) · up-year team · ACC draft-temper · RB devalued (ceiling capped).