Fitzgerald Toussaint

The Michigan football team appears to be at full strength at running back for the first time this season.

Redshirt freshman Fitzgerald Toussaint, who missed the first two games of the year with a knee injury, looks like he’ll be available when Michigan faces Football Championship Subdivision school Massachusetts on Saturday (noon, Big Ten Network).

“I don’t know how much he will play,” Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said on a teleconference Wednesday afternoon. “But he should be healthy enough to play.”

Toussaint had been vying for snaps in preseason camp with junior Michael Shaw, sophomore Vincent Smith, redshirt sophomore Michael Cox and freshman Stephen Hopkins.

Through two games, Rodriguez has used Shaw and Smith almost exclusively in tandem with Robinson. Hopkins received one carry Saturday - a 1-yard touchdown against Notre Dame. Cox has yet to play.

Through two games, Rodriguez has used Shaw and Smith almost exclusively in tandem with Robinson. Hopkins received one carry Saturday - a 1-yard touchdown against Notre Dame. Cox has yet to play.

Neither Smith nor Shaw has been particularly effective. Smith has 68 yards on 21 carries (3.2 yards per carry) and Shaw has 60 yards on 20 carries (3.0 ypc.).

Meanwhile, sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson has 455 yards rushing with 57 carries and averages 8 yards a carry.

Starting kicker role still open On Monday, Rodriguez said he’d have an open kicking competition between redshirt freshman Brendan Gibbons, who is on scholarship, and walk-on redshirt freshman Seth Broekhuizen.

As of Wednesday, Rodriguez hasn’t made a decision who will kick Saturday.

“Hopefully we’ll kick better,” Rodriguez said. “Our guys have the talent to do it.”

To challenge them, Rodriguez said they’ve run kicking games and competitions in practice this week.

Gibbons has made one of four field goals this season, hitting a 24-yarder against Connecticut but missing from 43 yards against UConn and from 39 and 40 yards against Notre Dame.

Rodriguez replaced Gibbons with Broekhuizen for the final extra point in Michigan’s 28-24 win over Notre Dame on Saturday, and he converted.

More injury news Don’t expect to see freshman hybrid Carvin Johnson play this week.

Johnson sprained his left MCL against Connecticut two weeks ago, and Rodriguez said it “does not appear” Johnson will play this week.

He didn’t, either, have a timetable for Johnson's return after he darted his way up the depth chart and into a starting role before the beginning of the season.

“His progress is going well,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t know if he’ll be back next week or not.

“…We’re hoping it’ll be within a week or two, but I couldn’t answer that right now.”

Wide receiver Junior Hemingway, who has battled injuries his entire career, is doubtful to play with an injured hamstring.

On transfers Rodriguez didn’t sound concerned defensive end Anthony LaLota decided to leave Michigan, the second player to leave the Wolverines in as many weeks. His reasoning was that often, when a player wants to transfer from one Football Bowl Subdivision school to another, it happens in August or early in the season so the player could use the 2010 season as his transfer sit-out year.

“It happens all across the country,” Rodriguez said. “It happens on occasion. Sometimes it works out for the guys and sometimes it doesn’t.”

LaLota, a New Jersey native, is transferring to Rutgers, according to Scout.com.

Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein