The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1386887
THE WOLVERINE 2021 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 87 [ O F F E N S I V E L I N E ] PRESEASON ANALYSIS: STARTERS Former line coach Ed Warinner raved about the young talent on the line before he left, and it's clear Sherrone Moore has a lot of clay to mold up front — it's just a matter of getting the young guys some experience. Second-year freshman Zak Zinter is a future first-round NFL Draft pick according to experts who watch him on a daily basis; paired with steady redshirt ju- nior Andrew Stueber, the right side should be very good. Redshirt sophomore Ryan Hayes should be ready to take the next step at left tackle, but there are hungry young tackles ready to push him. DEPTH ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Again, there's plenty of talent here, but not a lot of experience. Third-year line- man Nolan Rumler seems like he could be a road grader at guard and had a great spring game, so he could be on the cusp; ditto his classmate, Karsen Barnhart, who could push Hayes for a starting job or even get a look inside. OVERALL ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This group has potential, but there aren't five guys who have played together consistently enough to say this will be a really good unit. Unlike last year, though, they had the spring to tinker with different combinations and figure some things out. The key is finding the best five and getting them some time to work together, hoping they jell quickly. "He's as consistent as you'd want a tackle to be," Jansen said. "He's not going to blow the doors off anybody or anything, but he takes good sets. He's intelligent, knows what he can do and — probably more importantly — knows his limitations and doesn't get caught in bad situations. "Not only does he take good sets, but every once in a while, you'll see him throw a change up and surprise somebody. He maximizes every ounce of what he's got." Next to him, second-year freshman Zak Zinter has what it takes to be one of the best in the game, according to those who have seen him up close. His presence is reminiscent of a young Jake Long (2004-07 and an All-American, before being the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft) — not his style, but his confidence, the way he carries himself and his potential. Zinter got a taste of game action last year before a thumb injury sidelined him early in the last game of the year, a home loss to Penn State. He spent spring work- ing at right guard, which is where he finished last season, but has also taken snaps at center and could play anywhere on the interior, possibly even tackle in a pinch. "There are certain guys that are just built to be offensive linemen, and they all have different traits, but a couple things they all have in common is they play natu- rally and with good pad level, with good balance," Jansen said. "They don't ever seem to get out of balance, and if they do, they get right back to their center." It takes some linemen years to learn what Zinter seems to have grasped at a young age, Jansen noted, similar to some of the Michigan greats of the past — Jansen himself, Long, Hutchinson (1997-2000), etc. "He just plays with shoulders square, and again, does some things naturally you've got to coach into other guys," Jansen added. "The other guys will get it, but he just seems to do some things that come naturally to him in regard to how he plays the offensive line. "You show him something, teach him something, and he goes out and does it. He's a good athlete, and he looks comfortable in that interior line. He's a big dude [6-6, 334], and he's got a good reach, too." Moore and Co. are looking for the five best linemen and the best way to work them together, and some believe that includes Zinter at center. Sixth-year senior Andrew Vastardis, though, will have a say, and he's back for more after starting four games in 2020, with mixed results. The veteran and former walk-on looked extremely comfortable in game one last year, a blowout win at Minnesota, guiding the offense and getting the Wolverines into the right play. There were times he seemed overmatched, however, and part of that was injury related. He missed two games and played hurt in one or two more, Michigan has had seven linemen taken in the NFL Draft in head coach Jim Harbaugh's seven years on the job, including four in the third round or better, and four alone in 2020. Center Cesar Ruiz (2020) remains the only first-round pick, going to New Orleans with the 24th overall selection in 2020. This year's offensive front has a combined 30 career starts, compared to 17 last year. Projected starting right tackle and redshirt junior Andrew Stueber is responsible for eight of those, but the Wolverines return six players with more than one start up front and another (redshirt freshman Trevor Keegan) who saw significant action in more than one game. Offensive lineman Willie Allen announced his transfer before playing a down for the Wolver- ines following his transfer in from Louisiana Tech. He will play next fall at Massachusetts, his fifth school in six years, after failing to crack the U-M two-deep in the spring. Michigan signed a total of six four- or five-star offensive linemen between the 2020 and 2021 recruiting classes, more than either Alabama or Ohio State. Both of those schools, however, finished with five and had a pair of five-star linemen to Michigan's none. U-M's highest-rated lineman of the past two years, Giovanni El-Hadi out of Sterling Heights (Mich.) Stevenson, was Rivals.com's No. 91 senior nationally in the 2021 class. [ F Y I ] THE WOLVERINE 2021 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 87 [ O F F E N S I V E L I N E ] YEAR-BY-YEAR RUSHING YARDS Rush Yards Yards Year Rush Yards Total Yards Per Game Per Rush 2020* 789 2,291 131.5 4.6 2019 1,959 5,220 150.7 4.0 2018 2,653 5,457 204.1 4.8 2017 2,310 4,536 177.7 4.4 2016 2,768 5,524 212.9 4.8 2015 2,057 5,147 158.2 4.2 2014 1,954 3,996 162.8 4.6 2013 1,634 4,855 125.7 3.3 2012 2,389 4,980 183.8 4.8 2011 2,884 5,261 221.8 5.2 *Only played six games due to COVID-19 pandemic