Karsen Barnhart embraces the extra competition at both tackle spots
Michigan football has perpetual competition on the offensive line, which has gone a long way in helping mold the identity of the program. U-M lives and dies by its line and the more depth, the better. But for someone like fifth-year tackle Karsen Barnhart, it also means your job is always up for grabs.
Barnhart and classmate Trente Jones were locked in a battle for the starting right tackle job last offseason. Jones won the initial gig before Barnhart replaced him due to injury. From there, Barnhart never ceded ground.
“I’d say I’m a lot more comfortable because I know that I have big-time games under my belt now, and like I know that I’m a part of a leader in the room,” Barnhart told the media on Monday.
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“Being able to show younger guys that I can play and like also help out younger guys and then also help out the older guys as well. And everybody just feeds off one another in the room and everybody wants to get better.”
Michigan augmented its offensive line depth this offseason by bringing in a pair of tackles in LaDarius Henderson and Myles Hinton and center Drake Nugent via the transfer portal. That means more competition for Barnhart, Jones and the rest of the offensive line.
“Everybody wants to get better and it just brings so much depth,” Barnhart said. “The past two seasons you’ve seen it. There’s been not just five guys that start and the whole season, there are seven, eight guys playing and we got depth with like 10, 12 guys that all play and start in big-time places. They’re all here because everybody wants to get better. Everybody wants to play for the M.”
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Barnhart has found a home at tackle after playing guard early in his career, too. He feels as comfortable as he ever has at Michigan, but is still cross-training on both sides of the offensive line.
“I’m playing both sides right now and just getting comfortable playing both sides,” he said. “I’ve played everywhere, but like you played one side for so long and then you get uncomfortable going back to the other side after playing for so long. But just playing both sides. And there’s a lot of guys that are playing really well right now, like [junior center] Greg Crippen, he’s coming up. He’s doing some good things right now.”
But the battle for playing time will not be easy for everyone. Barnhart and Jones are not guaranteed anything. Players like Crippen and classmate Raheem Anderson will have to outdo Nugent. Jeffery Persi may not have the path to playing time he thought.
It is all part of the plan.
“[Offensive line coach Sherrone Moore] always talks about if you’re scared of competition, then you shouldn’t be here. And I’m not scared of competition. Everybody wants to come here and be great, and so I’m just ready to do what I do and help this offense, help this offensive line and be the best I can do to help this team.”
