Changed culture makes Trevor Keegan return much more likely
The Michigan offensive line continued to play at an extremely high level this year, with the interior bullying people in the running game. Senior guard Trevor Keegan was a big part of that, playing through injury to lead yet another dominant Wolverines ground attack in 2022.
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Keegan dealt with both upper and lower body injuries this season but was usually outstanding when he played, never complaining. There’s good reason the Michigan coaches want him back next season — and while he’s not guaranteeing it, he indicated Thursday it’s a possibility.
He also said he had yet to make up his mind.
“Not yet, no,” Keegan said when asked, noting he has two years of eligibility remaining, not just one. He also confirmed Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) possibilities would factor into his decision.
“I’d like to say it doesn’t, but it does a little bit,” he admitted. “I’ve got to graduate, and there are a lot of things I’ve got to think about. Obviously, I would love to come back, but it’s a business. So, I’ve still got to weigh all my options.”
Junior right guard Zak Zinter, too, will have the same decisions to make. Getting both back would all but assure the Wolverines would have one of the nation’s best offensive lines again in 2023.
As several Wolverines have said over the last few years, the program is getting harder to leave. For one, the culture has improved dramatically. They’ve gotten rid of several players who didn’t seem to care as much about team success, and whose attitudes rubbed off on some of their teammates.
Keegan said the difference has been night and day from 2019 and 2020.
“It’s super different. I was a freshman and sophomore then,” Keegan said. “I think we just had a lot of selfish players. We didn’t really have a good culture. There were people that were just in here to go the NFL, and that was all they cared about. Now there are just dudes who created a brotherhood, who care for each other. We come here every day to work and achieve goals together.
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“It’s completely different. Obviously, guys still want to go to the NFL, but with team success comes individual success. That’s our motto. We know that if we have success, individual success will come. That’s everybody’s mindset.”
And while some programs are indulging in pay for play — to negative consequences — Keegan said even that can’t splinter the locker room.
“Not at all. You hear rumblings, what people are making, stuff like that,” he said. “It doesn’t matter because here at Michigan, you’re going to get paid off the way you play. I know other schools it’s, ‘oh you’re a four star, you get a certain X and O amount.’ Here it’s going to make people want to work harder, which I totally agree with. And that’s the way it should be.
“I think it’s just the guys we have in the locker rom. We understand it. It’s like a business here. It’s like a minor league to the NFL. We know how it is … I think everyone just knows the way it is and respects that.”
It will remain that way whether or not Keegan returns. It could be special if he and a few others come back, though … and we wouldn’t bet against it given how committed some are to getting them back at Michigan.
