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Michigan O-Line notebook: Grant Newsome a ‘rising star,’ a Josh Priebe story, more

Chris Balasby:Chris Balas•05/30/24•

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Michigan Wolverines football offensive lineman Josh Priebe at practice (Photo courtesy Michigan football)
Michigan Wolverines football offensive lineman Josh Priebe at practice (Photo courtesy Michigan football)

DETROIT — Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore met with the media for a half hour today at the Wayne State satellite camp, clearly excited about his team’s direction. He had plenty of praise for some of his players and coaches, a few in particular. 

Moore would probably have spoken glowingly about everyone on his staff — early returns indicate this is a tight-knit, hard-working group — those he was asked about received high marks, starting with offensive line coach Grant Newsome. 

“He’s a beast … he’ll be a head coach in about a couple of years,” Moore praised. “He’s phenomenal for a guy that’s his age, way, way ahead his age from a mental standpoint, from what he knows, his maturity, how he handles everything. He’s a superstar in this business.”

And he’s got great pieces to work with, Moore said. Michigan left guard Giovanni El-Hadi missed some time with an injury this spring, but he’s back and ready to go. Center Greg Crippen made great strides mentally, which is where he needed to improve. 

“Crippen was really good. I saw him take a step really mentally,” Moore said. “That’s really what he needed to do, because physically he could do it. Mentally, just calming his mind down, he was really good at that.”

Michigan guard Josh Priebe, meanwhile, missed the spring game with a cut lip. True to a Michigan lineman’s form, he kept playing with it while bleeding everywhere. 

“He got a great cut. It was awesome,” Moore said with a grin. “It was so cool. It was going against Mason Graham …  he got that big slit that fit in his mouth, and he kept playing and kept playing, was bleeding all over the place. We were like, ‘whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa  — Priebe, you’re bleeding.’ He’s like, ‘huh?’ And then he just kept playing.

“Then he came out and we had to get him stitches. But yeah, that’s just how practice is. Sometimes you get a busted lip and you’ve got to get stitches. He’s doing really good.”

Overall, he said, the makings of a good line are there. They just have to put the pieces together. 

“The line should be good,” Moore said. “Obviously we lost guys, but years before we lost guys, so that’s going to happen. Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter couldn’t play there for 10 years, even though they probably wish they could. 

“But we feel really good about the guys that we got in, the little battles within each group. The mindset, the foundation of who we are and what that group is, is in that room. We’re just ready to see what the next guys do.”

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