Four-star OL Avery Gach commits to Michigan

Prior to kickoff of Michigan’s spring game on April 20, Franklin (Mich.) Groves On3 Industry four-star offensive lineman Avery Gach walked into the office just outside the Wolverines locker room and committed to head coach Sherrone Moore, offensive line coach Grant Newsome and Director of Player Personnel Albert Karschnia. 

The 6-foot-4, 270-pound Gach went public with his plans on Friday afternoon. He chose to play for the nearby Maize and Blue over Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin among many others.

“My relationship with the coaching staff I feel like it’s home,” Gach told On3. “I love the facilities. They just won the National Championship. They develop NFL players and they like to run the ball. The Michigan-Ohio state game is a game I wanted to play in.”

“It was a great moment,” Gach’s father Dave said of the spring game pledge. “I think he was really relieved it was over and found where home was.”

Gach had visited Michigan a couple weeks prior to the spring game, and then returned to Ohio State.

“Had a really good visit there but said I think Ann Arbor is home,” the elder Gach said. “Thought about it longer and said I want to go to the spring game and give a commitment to Coach Moore and Coach Newsome.”

That’s exactly what Gach did. Moore had been recruiting Gach since he was a freshman and now adds him to a 2025 class that grows to five. 

“Coach Moore, Coach Newsome and Albert they were ecstatic,” Dave said. “We were really happy.”

Michigan led for much of Gach’s process

The younger Gach has spoken highly about Michigan and his potential there throughout his process.

“I want to play for a team that has had historically good offensive lines and Michigan proved that this year and the past several years,” Gach said after the Wolverines won the National Championship. “I have also built good relationships with Coach Moore and Coach Newsome.”

Gach always felt like a priority for Moore and Newsome and he was there in November to watch the Wolverines clinch a third-straight Big Ten championship with the win over Ohio State.

“The environment at the Big House was unreal,” Gach said. “The stadium was rocking and the fans were going crazy. I continue to be impressed by them and their o-line play. Coach Moore is doing a great job!”

Wolverines land a dominant, well-rounded prospect

Gach is coming off a terrific junior season where he had 90 pancakes while giving up zero sacks or pressures. 

“I just think it’s a good fit with the new staff, you see the relationship and they gel together,” Groves head coach Brendan Flaherty said. “Their offensive staff was in earlier in the week and I think it fits there.

“With him he has all the genetic stuff. He’s huge, strong and fast all that stuff is there. His best quality or trait he reminds me of a walk-on. He wakes up every day nervous he has to get better as a football player or he’s losing ground on someone. He’ll call me on a Sunday or text me can I get in the weight room. I have to lift. He’s our hardest worker I’ve ever had by a mile. The work ethic and that fear I’ve got to get better. I can’t stay the same type of thing.”

Flaherty added Gach is the perfect fit for Michigan.

“The switch turns on,” Gach said. “He’s a gentle giant in our building. Very courteous to adults, cares about people, he’s a unique guy away from the field, has a great relationship with our special-needs kids in the building but between the lines, the switch goes on. He’s not happy unless the guy he’s blocking is on his back.” 

Friday was a great celebration of Gach’s decision

“We’re just really excited that he found a home relatively early in the process,” the elder Gach said. “We always thought he’d want to go on all his official visits and decide right before his high school season in September. It’s really nice he picked this terrific university academically and athletically and obviously the National Champs. I think the family, not just Avery developed terrific relationships with the coaching staff especially every coach on the offensive side of the ball.

“Obviously selfishly from a parent perspective he’s going to be 45 minutes from home. We didn’t limit where he looked or chose but it’s really nice extended family and friends will be able to get to all his games going forward as well.”