Michigan’s offensive line picture looked fairly settled when fall camp opened. Jake Guarnera at center and Andrew Sprague at right tackle were viewed as locks, and the real work for Jim Harding was figuring out the other three spots.
That part of the job has only gotten trickier.
Harding arrived in Ann Arbor with a strong reputation from his time at Utah, and Michigan brought him in with one clear goal in mind: get the offensive line back to the standard it reached late in Jim Harbaugh’s tenure. By most accounts, camp has pointed in that direction. The group has improved, the competition has sharpened everybody involved, and Harding’s influence is already showing.
But injuries have complicated the plan.
The biggest issue centers on Andrew Babalola, who has already had a difficult start to his Michigan career. He missed all of last season with a torn ACL, and after entering camp with a real chance to battle Blake Frazier for the left tackle job, he’s now been slowed by a nagging injury. That doesn’t erase his role in the season ahead, but it does make Frazier the likelier starter when the opener arrives.
And that creates a real puzzle.
Michigan clearly likes Babalola’s ceiling. The staff believes he could become a top-10 pick in the NFL Draft if he develops as a left tackle.
At the same time, Frazier had been seen as someone who could potentially slide inside to right guard if Babalola won the tackle battle. If Babalola is too talented to keep off the field, the Wolverines then have to decide whether to prioritize their best five linemen or preserve continuity.
That’s not a small choice, especially with Oklahoma and Brent Venables coming early on the schedule. In a game that’s expected to be a tight defensive fight, Michigan will need stability up front. Shuffling linemen in that kind of setting can get ugly fast, leading to a turnover or a drive-killing negative play.
There’s also the question of the rhino package Jason Beck plans to use, with a sixth offensive lineman on the field. If Babalola stays at left tackle, it doesn’t seem likely Michigan would move someone like Frazier just to make room for that package.
The cleaner path, if Babalola earns it, might be giving him snaps against Western Michigan and UTEP before conference play begins on Sept. 26 against Iowa.
For now, Harding is the man tasked with sorting it all out. Michigan may have one of its most trustworthy assistants in him, but he’s also facing the kind of lineup dilemma that can define an offensive line before the season even starts.
In Other News...
Michigan May Have Found Answers In Three Crucial Spots
Michigan wrapped up its final fall camp scrimmage with game week now on the horizon, and the early read on this roster looks a lot more encouraging than it did a few weeks ago. Bryce Underwood appears to have taken a real step forward, the wide receiver room has brought more consistency and playmaking to the table, and an offensive line that looked like a question mark entering camp seems to be settling in and improving at the right time.
On the other side of the ball, linebacker play has also started to look like a strength, with transfer Nathaniel Staehling drawing particularly positive evaluations. For a program trying to sort out several key spots before the season begins, that matters, because Michigan does not need every answer in place yet, but it does need enough of them to feel like the foundation is there when the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Is Chasing A Receiver Who Could Change Its Future Air Attack
Michigan has jumped early into the chase for Jaedon White, extending a scholarship offer to the Westside High School receiver from Anderson, South Carolina, as the Wolverines continue building out their vision for a more dynamic passing game. White is already drawing major attention as a four-star prospect, ranked No. 31 nationally and the top player in South Carolina in the 2029 class, which tells you how much upside is attached to his name this far out.
Kyle Whittinghams staff, with wide receivers coach Micah Simon helping lead the recruitment, is clearly treating White as the kind of versatile, explosive playmaker that can help reshape Michigans air attack down the line. For a program looking to add more juice on the perimeter, getting in early on a prospect with that profile is the sort of move that could matter again and again if the relationship keeps trending the right way. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans New Passing Buzz Is Starting A Real Fall Camp Debate
Fall camp has brought a little extra life to Michigans passing-game conversation, and Utah transfer wide receiver JJ Buchanan is right in the middle of it. After arriving in Ann Arbor, Buchanan has talked up his transition to the program, his comfort with quarterback Bryce Underwood and the way the two have started to build timing as the Wolverines sort through what their offense can become this season. He also pointed to his basketball background as part of what helps him at the catch point, a useful detail for a receiver trying to carve out a role in a competitive room.
Buchanans optimism has fit neatly with the broader mood around camp, where Michigan has been drawing notice for the talent on hand and the energy around the new group. He has been quick to credit the coaching staff as well, another sign that the early impressions have been positive on both sides of the ball. The bigger question, of course, is how all of that translates once the real games begin, and whether the buzz around the passing attack turns into something the Wolverines can count on when the season starts. [Read more 🡒]