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Left tackle is suiting Myles Hinton in the early going

Chris Balasby:Chris Balas•04/02/24•

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Myles Hinton
(Photo by Clayton Sayfie / TheWolverine.com)

Michigan coaches have put the pressure on Myles Hinton, calling him a possible “first round draft pick” if he lives up to his potential. Hinton hit the podium today looking leaner and in great shape heading into the third week of spring ball, seemingly intent on making this his best year yet. 

Hinton played a significant role on last year’s team, but an injury sidelined him down the stretch, opening a door for Trente Jones. Now, though, Hinton will get his chance to take over at left tackle, and he looks the part. 

“Right now, I’m like high three twenties, low three thirties, I’m a little bit lighter than I was fall camp last year when you all saw me,” Hinton said. “That’s what I want to be here, no doubt about it. I don’t want to be in the 340s … it’s kind of a personal goal of mine. I’ve played anything from 315 to 340, but ideally, I’d like to be in the high three twenties. I think it looks better and feels better.

“I feel quicker, but also there are challenges, as well. If I’m 340, I can sit down a bull rush way easier, but also if I’m 320s … yeah, it’s different. Just personally, I like high three twenties.”

As for all the talk that he could be an All-American, etc. … it’s nothing he hasn’t heard about for years. Last season, former Stanford teammate and Michigan center Drake Nugent said there were times Hinton would simply throw people around at Stanford, and if could find that gear consistently, he’d be elite. 

Hinton seemed to know it, and he has his own goals. However, he also seemed tired of the talk.

“Personally, when I hear stuff like that, I don’t want to … don’t want to hear like how good you could be,” he said. “I just want to do me, and then if doing me gets me that good, then it does. Of course I want to be the best player I can be, but I feel like if I harp too much on it, it’s just like an extra stress … that was kind of the vibe of it over the years.

“When I was young, too, I just didn’t like hearing it. I wasn’t really a big sports guy in general growing up, so hearing all that stuff was just like, okay. But growing into it, hearing it, receiving it and knowing that I can be what they say … coach [Jim] Harbaugh, he said — and coaches here still say it — ‘potential is a dangerous word.’ If you don’t really embrace the role and embrace what you’re doing, then it’s just nothing.” 

So, he’s set out to prove he can be that guy, knowing his team needs him to step up in a big way in 2024. There’s an entirely new line, and he’s now one of the leaders. There’s no more “try” — it’s time to “do,” and he’s off to a good start.

“Just grind,” Hinton said. “I feel like it’s kind of cliché, but there’s not much more to do. You just keep the wheels turning, keep progressing, get stronger, faster, bigger, lean out, you know, just kind of ho in the craft hone the small detail. That’s the theme of this year … I feel it’s details, details, details.”

But he’s making progress, excited to see how it pays off in 2024. 

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