Michigan football released its first availability report of the season − as is newly required during Big Ten play, with follow-ups to come Thursday, Friday and two hours before kickoff − and there's both good and bad news.
The good news is running back Jordan Marshall is not listed anywhere on it, meaning he's expected to play against No. 17 Iowa this weekend (3:30 p.m., CBS). The concerns come elsewhere, including the sixth offensive lineman, Manuel Biegel, listed as doubtful.
Right tackle Andrew Sprague is listed as questionable, as is edge Dominic Nichols, a surprise name on the list and certainly among the top to monitor, as there had been no indications he was hurt, which was not the case with Sprague.
Coach Kyle Whittingham made his return
this week sound far from a certainty when speaking with Jon Jansen on the Inside Michigan Football radio show earlier this week.
“Andrew Sprague, gosh, that’s a tough question,” Whittingham said when asked for a timeline on his return. “I think it could be anywhere from this week to several weeks, so we just don’t know. And that’s what we’re trying to sort through that – not we, but the medical staff – making sure we get the exact diagnosis to treat this thing the right way.
“But he’s a big part of what we’re doing, so we hope to have him back sooner than later.”
Nichols, meanwhile, has been a star for U-M as perhaps the best player through three weeks on an already elite defensive line. He's second among edges in tackles (11) and sacks (2½) in what's been a breakout junior season.
Biegel, who came to U-M as a defensive lineman, switched to the offensive side of the ball in the spring under the new staff. He has been U-M's primary sixth man in its heavy packages on the offensive line, a formation Beck said he's felt has been successful early in the season.
“The physicality and the knockback in the run game is the positive,” Beck said of using the "rhino" formation. “We’ve been doing it for years. There aren’t too many tradeoffs. We use them in protection where somebody else would be in protection if, say, that’s somebody else is a tight end.
“I think three games in, Manu [Biegel] is one of the better things we have going on. We’ve got a lot of things to improve and get better at, but the rhino thing’s been a real positive when you look at how they’re grading, the results of what’s happening. It’s been a real positive with getting the job done.”
Defensive back Zeke Berry is also listed as questionable, but coaches say he's expected to play Week 4.
Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dom Nichols a surprise add to Michigan's injury report vs Iowa
