Elite talent, depth might make Michigan O-line best position group

The Michigan offensive line won the Joe Moore Award last year given to the nation’s top line. According to Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, this year’s group could be even better.

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But Sherrone Moore wanted to make sure his guys weren’t A) complacent when they arrived this spring (which was never really going to be an issue). And B), didn’t set such a high bar for themselves that they’d be disappointed if it took a while to come together.

“Like I told them in the spring, you’re not going to be where you were when you played Ohio State or when you played Iowa,” the Michigan offensive line coach and co-coordinator told Jon Jansen on the In the Trenches Podcast. “You had the training, you had the hard times — you pushed through all that. Literally, we just need you to be the best you can that day and figure out what do you need to get better at that day. What do you need need to attack that day? And then keep stacking the days. 

“[But] they walk into the weight room every day and the first thing they see is the Joe Moore trophy. That expectation is planted in their head of what it’s supposed to be and what it’s supposed to look like. They have an example of what it’s supposed to feel like, because they were in it.”

So it’s about managing the pressure. He encourages his Michigan group to stay off their phones and social media so they avoid the praise and the doting after a big year.

There’s a target on their backs, he noted — “you guys did this, you guys did that” — that could be a distraction if they let it.

“[I say], ‘you guys shouldn’t really care about what happened last year, because last year was last year. This is a whole new year,” Moore said. “Re-write the record book, and it’s time to go to work.”

Several options on the 2022 Michigan line

And they just might. Though center Andrew Vastardis and right tackle Andrew Stueber have graduated, there are several options to replace them.

As of now, left to right, Ryan Hayes, Trevor Keegan, Olu Oluwatimi, Zak Zinter and Trente Jones are the Michigan starters. All will probably play on Sundays, and some of their backups might, too.

“Right now, I would say eight or nine, possibly 10 [guys could play],” Moore said of the Michigan line. “I think fall camp is going to tell a lot. Right now, I would say eight, probably. Fall camp, it could easily be 10. When we get into fall camp, we say, ‘You’re not ones and twos.’ I tell the twos, ‘It’s 1a and 1b.’ Guys have got to be ready to plug-and-play.”

Hayes, he said, is expected to be one of the best tackles in the country, and that’s the expectation he has of himself.

“He’s very hard on himself. He pushes himself,” Moore said. “That’s what we want to do and that’s what we want to be. To be the best offensive line in the country and strive to do that every day in everything we do.”

Behind the first five, Michigan veteran Karsen Barnhart continues to push for time, as well.

“I think he’s probably best as a tackle, but he’s literally played every position besides center,” Moore said. “His versatility, because of his athleticism and talent, has helped us tremendously

“He’s got tremendous value from that standpoint. It’s probably one of the tackle spots … probably left tackle, but maybe right. He moves around in practice. You feel like you never know where he is — left tackle one play, then he’s at right tackle, then he’s at guard. He does it all.”

The young guys, too, are coming on, like Michigan redshirt freshmen Giovanni El-Hadi and Raheem Anderson.

Collectively, Moore said, the Michigan line is in a great place heading into summer. They’ll take May off and return in June. From there, it’s best man up.

“We’re going to be physical, and we’re going to be attacking,” Moore said. “We’re going to be aggressive … going to do those things just like we did last year, and we’re going to keep turning up the notch, keep getting better and better.”