The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MARCH 2023 THE WOLVERINE 55 I N C O M I N G TRANSFERS Looking to strike gold at the center spot for a second consecutive season, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and co-offensive co- ordinator and line coach Sherrone Moore turned to the Bay Area, plucking graduate center Drake Nugent from Stanford. The Wolverines have a vacancy at their starting center spot after Olusegun Olu- watimi ran out of eligibility. Oluwatimi, was named the nation's top center and interior lineman on either side of the ball, winning the Rimington and Outland trophies, respectively, helping lead an offensive line that won the Joe Moore Award for a second straight season. Nugent doesn't quite have the pedigree that Oluwatimi did a year ago — the latter was a Rimington finalist in 2021 — but he has similar traits as a former team captain and has loads of experience, having ap- peared in 27 career games with 24 starts. "The thing he brings the most is he leads — vocally, but with his play, as well," AllCardinal.com's Kevin Borba said. "He brings that level of physicality that every offensive line coach dreams of. It's kind of like a, 'Watch me do this, you need to do it too,' kind of vibe. He brings a strength and power that other players want to emulate to keep up with him." Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked Nugent seventh nationally among centers with an 80.5 overall grade last season. That slotted one spot ahead of Oluwatimi (79.9), and the site's Max Chadwick recently named him the sixth-best returning interior of- fensive lineman in the country. "Despite losing Outland Trophy winner Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan should still have elite play in the middle of its of- fensive line," Chadwick pointed out. "Nugent is the highest-ranked center on this list and is the most valuable re- turning one in the Power Five according to PFF's wins above average metric. The Stanford transfer's 84.1 run-blocking grade ranked third among all centers in the country this past season." Like Oluwatimi did a season ago, Nu- gent has the luxury of playing next to a pair of returning starting guards in gradu- ate Trevor Keegan (left) and senior Zak Zinter (right). The Wolverines checked in fifth in the country with 238.9 rush- ing yards per game and 23rd with only 1.2 sacks allowed per contest. Should he win the starting job, Nugent will be a key piece on an offense with sky-high potential. "Drake is going to be plug and play," Borba opined. "Michigan lost the Virginia transfer, and I think he'll pick up right where Oluwatimi left off." "Between Nugent creating holes in the middle and two top-10 running backs in Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, the Wolverines' ground game should once again be deadly," Chadwick wrote. — Clayton Sayfie When Myles Hinton decided to enter the transfer portal, there was only one destination with which he had a level of familiarity similar to that of Stanford, the school he chose over the Wolverines and others out of high school. Throughout his original recruiting pro- cess back in 2020, many Michigan fans hoped, and assumed, he would end up in Ann Arbor, like his brother, former U-M defensive lineman Christopher Hinton (2019-21). They were right, in a sense, but they were off on when exactly he'd make his way to campus. Hinton's father, Christopher Hinton Sr., is a former NFL offensive tackle who made seven Pro Bowls and has his name in the Indianapolis Colts' Ring of Honor, right next to Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh's at Lucas Oil Stadium. Hinton was named Stanford's Most Outstanding Freshman in 2020, play- ing in five games off the bench at right tackle. He then started nine of 12 con- tests at the position in 2021. He dealt with an injury during the middle of the 2022 campaign, when he opened seven outings and allowed 5 pressures and 2 sacks on the season. According to Pro Football Focus, Hinton has given up 28 pressures and 6 sacks dur- ing his career. His career-best overall PFF grade for a season came in 2022 (61.6). Despite Hinton establishing himself as a productive lineman at Stanford, Michi- gan will afford him a better opportunity to reach his full potential. "There's room for improvement to be had, and at Michigan he'll be able to de- velop differently than he was at Stanford," AllCardinal.com's Kevin Borba said. "He has the perfect size, frame and mindset. He's super smart. The pass rushers in the Pac-12 — especially on the edge — are extremely talented. "He was banged up [in 2022], and this is where a lot of the linemen got criticized at Stanford — the offensive system was the slow mesh, which they took from Wake Forest. It just did not work for them." Hinton will have to battle for the start- ing right tackle spot, with graduates Karsen Barnhart and Trente Jones — both of whom have starting experience — ap- pearing to be top contenders. "He has a big spring and summer ahead of him," Borba said. — Clayton Sayfie U-M Brings In Transfer Center For Second Straight Season Myles Hinton Took The Long Way To Michigan — But He's Here Stanford University John's Creek, Ga. Greater Atlanta Christian High Senior/2 Offensive Line Ht.: 6-7 • Wt.: 320 Honors: Earned Stanford's Most Out- standing Freshman Award in 2020. Recruiting Rankings: On3 ranked him as the No. 11 offensive tackle and a college three-star in the 2023 transfer portal … Ranked a four-star prospect in the class of 2020, the No. 33 overall player nationally, third-best offensive tackle and No. 5 recruit in Georgia. Myles Hinton Stanford University Lone Tree, Colo. Highlands Ranch High Graduate/2 Offensive Line Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 300 Honors: Earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention nods each of the past two sea- sons … Voted a team captain for his senior season in 2022. Recruiting Rankings: On3 ranked him as the No. 4 interior offensive line- man and a college four-star in the 2023 transfer portal … Rated a three-star prospect in 2019, per the On3 Consen- sus … Slotted as the 70th-best interior offensive lineman nationally and No. 7 player in Colorado. Drake Nugent