Peny Boone, the Mid-American Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year, is in the transfer portal. As a redshirt junior with the Toledo Rockets, he ran for 1,400 yards (7.2 yards per carry) and 15 touchdowns in what was a career year. In their final four regular season games, he ran for 494 yards and seven touchdowns, capping off a fantastic season.
He spent two seasons with the Maryland Terrapins before joining the MAC, where he amassed 701 running yards and five touchdowns.
He knows what the Big Ten has to offer, and it seems like he could want to return to the conference. In an interview with Allen Trieu of 247Sports, the Michigan native and former four-star superstar at Detroit King High School seems to be hoping to return home.
“A team with a strong line and a supportive environment would be ideal for me to further my career,” Boone stated. “I’m really open to anywhere in the country, though it would be great to see Michigan or State mentioned.”
This portal cycle, Michigan might have a fair need for a running back. After the season, Blake Corum is going to the NFL, and Donovan Edwards might also contribute to the league. After that, Kalel Mullings, Ben Hall, Cole Cabana, and two incoming true freshmen in Jordan Marshall and Micah Ka’apana would make up the Wolverines’ running back room.
Boone would be a good choice for the Wolverines’ RB2 next season, especially with Mullings’ lack of experience. He played for a few seasons in the Big Ten before having a fantastic fourth season at the collegiate level, giving him a wealth of playing experience.
At 6-foot-1 and 242 pounds, Boone is another extremely durable running back. He has 194 carries this season, 116 in 2022, and 58 in his time at Maryland. He participated in 11 games last season and all 12 this season. In terms of availability, Boone is a steady and dependable player, so at the absolute least, he would be a valuable depth player.
Boone might not be as good as he is at Toledo, but he would still be a very good backup running back for the Michigan Wolverines in 2024. At minimum, the Wolverines ought to think about investigating the prospect of bringing Boone into the club for the upcoming campaign.
