The Michigan Wolverines offensive line has dealt with a ton of injuries and lineup changes throughout the season, but they have weathered the storm thus far.
Due to injuries from left tackle Evan Link,
left guard Giovanni El-Hadi and right guard Brady Norton, the Wolverines have been forced to start five different offensive line combinations this year. Even though it’s difficult to deal with injuries, it seems like the lineup changes have allowed the coaching staff to land on a rotation that operates the best together.
“We wouldn’t have gone into the season thinking this would be our fifth starting combination in eight games, but it’s what you have to prepare for,” Michigan offensive line coach Grant Newsome told the media on Wednesday. “We always maintain that you have to have 10 guys ready, and I think we’ve started eight or nine of them so it shows our depth. It’s a credit to those young guys.”
In addition to El-Hadi returning from injury after missing three games, center Greg Crippen, Guarnera and right tackle Andrew Sprague have played at a high level for a majority of the season. Meanwhile, left tackle Blake Frazier impressed in his first start in the win over Michigan State last week as he stepped in for Link.
Head coach Sherrone Moore reflected on Frazier’s performance in the win at rival Michigan State.
“I was so proud of Blake,” Moore said. “I didn’t know what his emotions would be because he’s known the rivalry for such a long time with his dad playing here but he played super well. He had an edge to him. He almost got a penalty because he was standing over somebody but he said he didn’t hear the whistle. I don’t know if I buy that but I liked the edge he had.”
Newsome also mentioned how Frazier prepared to start even before he was elevated into the starting unit.
“Even when he wasn’t the starter, he was still preparing as if he was. He was just kind of waiting for his opportunity, whether that came from an injury or him beating someone out for the job,” Newsome said. “I’m really proud of him, and how he has come in and stepped up. He wasn’t perfect obviously but he’s out there fighting and getting better every week.”
Frazier certainly didn’t resemble a first-time starter last weekend, as he played with aggression, toughness and high-quality technique while committing very few mistakes. Guarnerra and Sprague were a part of the same recruiting class as Frazier, but with more starting experience, they are able to help bring him up to speed and ease his transition.
“Guarnerra has stepped in and played really solid for the past couple of weeks. He has looked really good,” Moore said. “Sprague has been the starter at right tackle since the first game, and he just keeps getting better and better. He actually played the best of the offensive linemen on Saturday. Those guys are playing at a great level. I’m excited for the young guys.”
It’s not surprising Frazier, Guarnera and Sprague are finding success early in their careers, but it’s an impressive feat to start as redshirt freshmen. There have been ups and downs — including poor outings at Oklahoma and USC — but dominant performances against Nebraska and Michigan State have offered a glimpse into a bright future for the unit.
“Sometimes with all three of those guys, you forget that they are redshirt freshmen, which is a good thing, but you have to remind yourself as a coach that they haven’t seen this before,” Newsome said. “They haven’t played four years of football where they have seen a certain look before and they know how to adjust on the fly, but I’m proud of them.”
Michigan running back Jordan Marshall pointed to communication as a key to the offensive line’s growth.
“Those guys just play for each other and are a really close unit,” Marshall said. “Those guys communicate so it’s so easy working with this team because everybody loves each other. Everybody’s connected and when you have that, there’s nobody mad at each other. Everybody’s happy for each other’s wins and losses, and we just come together at the end of the day.”
There’s still plenty of room for improvement moving forward, but the offensive line has shown an ability to fight through injuries, inexperience and a series of lineup adjustments. With a combination of elder statesman and underclassmen, the offensive line has developed and evolved this season and should only continue to get better.
