Michigan OL Josh Priebe speaks on OL attrition, 'deep breath' after QB change
ANN ARBOR – The Michigan Wolverines are back in the battle rhythm of a game week coming off a much-needed by sitting at 4-2 on the season. Part of the struggles have included instability at quarterback and injuries on the offensive line,
Graduate guard Josh Priebe has been one of the constants upfront and says heading into this week that no matter who is out there, whether it be injury or performance-related, all that matters is who steps in next.
“It’s kind of cliche to say, but it’s next man up,” Priebe said. “Especially with that position, you have ten plus guys who can play, because you rarely make it through a full season with the same five guys.
“We’ve already had a decent amount of guys rotating at different positions like center with Dom and Cripp and those guys. The chemistry is already in a good place from that perspective because we already had a lot of opportunities to play with different lines and different people in those positions. With Jeff Persi, I’ve had a lot of reps with him at spring ball. So we already have some good chemistry there.”
It has been an up-and-down year to this point for Michigan in the trenches, but first-year offensive line coach Grant Newsome has impressed Priebe so far with his approach to the game.
“What’s great with him I think is it is his first year coaching a line, but I don’t think you’d really be able to tell,” Priebe said. “He’s extremely detail-oriented and coaches us hard every single day and upholds that standard.
“As the season’s gone on, just like with how things have been handled on the sidelines, especially during the game, have been getting better and better. Just have been super composed during game days and keeping our confidence high.”
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Priebe speaks on Michigan’s quarterback change
The headlining plot thread heading into the second half of the season is the quarterback move to Jack Tuttle, who is just now starting to work fully after an offseason injury prevented him from competing fully for the starting job.
Priebe says Michigan players feel plenty of comfort with the seventh-year signal-caller.
“He didn’t practice a ton in the spring, but obviously he’s always in the building,” Priebe said. “He’s always around watching tape and stuff. So guys feel comfortable around him and he’s kind of one of those guys who’s a natural leader. When he got in the game, he was super calm in the huddle and I think everyone just kind of took a deep breath a little bit. Everyone has confidence in him.
“It was exciting to feel that. We were down 14-0. We obviously needed to put a good drive together when he came in. But I think one of the things was we didn’t necessarily feel like there was a tense feeling in the huddle. Just his demeanor, it’s a little hard to describe if you’re not in there, but just like his demeanor, kind of the way that he was carrying himself, especially in a super adverse situation being down 14-0 on the road. He kind of allowed that, that drive and that spark and that energy to kind of transpire.”
Michigan gets back on the field this weekend when it takes on the Illinois Fighting Illini on the road in Champaign. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET with the broadcast set for CBS.
