ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The Michigan football offensive line has struggled, especially compared to expectations this year. The Wolverines were Joe Moore Award semifinalists in 2025, and it had improved week over week until, by the end of the season, it was among the best in the nation. But in 2026, the line hasn't produced. The run game is 101st in the country, the line has allowed 14 sacks (53rd nationally) and 36 tackles for loss (41st).
But one thing that should be noted is that the O-line has been injury plagued, and has had the intended starting five for only one game all season.
Left guard Evan Link played at the position just once all year, before he missed Week 2 against Oklahoma, and then was flexed to left tackle when right tackle Andrew
Sprague was deemed out since Week 3. There have been numerous players who have cycled in and out, with Blake Frazier having flexed to right tackle and then having missed time with injuries. Brady Norton missed a game, but has also cycled in and out. Marky Walbridge, a freshman, ended up starting against Indiana two weeks ago. Rhino Manuel Beigel started out the season, but then missed a few games, and Avery Gach played for him for a few weeks, and he's also played guard positions.
It's been makeshift all year. And Link says that has somewhat hampered the unit's progress.
"Yeah, it's been tough, right? That's one of the things I haven't experienced yet in my career here," Link said. "Throughout the year, I've been blessed with guys staying healthy for the most part. Obviously, this year, that's just not been the case.
"And so I think, yeah, it's been a little tough for guys to find their rhythm at times because of all these different combinations and guys not necessarily knowing exactly what the next one's thinking. But I think as a whole, we've tried to respond as best we can. I think that's going to get better going forward just because now with all these guys injured, we're getting a lot more reps with people we wouldn't normally practice, right? So we're starting to build that chemistry and start to get those connections going that kind of exists between older guys, but maybe not exists between a fourth-year senior and a second-year player, right?"
While that's been challenging, Link also believes that the injuries have allowed for other players to get time on task who wouldn't have before. Though there are issues with rapport -- offensive lines are built on cohesion, and benefit from having the same starting unit playing all year -- Link feels like the younger players getting to come in throughout the season will help down the stretch.
It might be Frankenstein's line, but the hope is that the younger players will acclimate, and those out of position -- like Link -- will also benefit.
"Yeah, I mean, like I said, it's challenging," Link said. "I think the biggest thing for me is, I mean, I was expecting to play this year at guard, right? And obviously that didn't happen with some of the injuries that have happened. And so for me, it was not relearning the playbook, but learning a different thing. And I think we're learning different keys and different things that I have to realize on different plays. I'd do something different than I would at guard, right, obviously. But having to really do that and have to keep the two of them in your head and make sure you're on the right one every time can be a little confusing.
"And so I know, personally, that's been a struggle for me. And I think that's probably been the case for some other guys, too, that have had to balance between different positions. Because, I mean, playing left guard and right guard really ain't that different, but it really feels different. And so that's kind of a tough thing that I think doesn't really, you know, you wouldn't really notice, really, but it's definitely challenging.
"And I think the other thing, too, is, I mean, it's communication, right? At least I've been playing next to Efobi for going on four years now, right? So me and him can, we don't really need to talk that much sometimes. We know what we're doing. Sometimes we need to, but most of the time we don't, right? But that doesn't really exist for some other people, right? Because we haven't been next to each other all that time, right? Like, I live with Efobi. I've known the guy for four years, right? So me and him, like, I have that bond, right? But it doesn't really exist for some of the other guys that have to get stuck in, especially with, in the Indiana game (with) Marky coming in. He did a great job for a freshman right there. But it's kind of tough because he doesn't have that same kind of rapport that Brady, that maybe Sprague guys or I do.
"And so I think those things can be kind of hard because he may be speaking one language, and Brady may be speaking it different at times. But it's just something that we've had to continue to work on, especially in practice. I think that kind of gets alleviated a bit, just because you have more time to slow things down and talk through everything so you know how the other guy's thinking as well."
The Michigan football offensive line will need to play a physical game this week with Michigan State coming to town. Kickoff is at 7:40 p.m. EST, and the game will stream on Peacock.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football OL Evan Link explains struggles amid injuries
