The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAY 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 11 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS LaDarius Henderson Will Be Top Portal Addition By Chris Balas Michigan loses two huge pieces from last year's Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line in Olu Oluwatimi, winner of the Rimington and Outland trophies as the nation's best center and lineman, respectively, and left tackle Ryan Hayes. Hayes might have been one of the more underrated players in the Big Ten the last two years, a steady contributor who was often overlooked due to the guys he played next to. He was All- Big Ten for two years and will be playing in the NFL next year. There are several candidates to replace him, and all will get their shots. Veterans Karsen Barnhart and Trente Jones are better suited for right tackle but can play on the left side, if need be. Senior Jeffrey Persi needs to get stronger, but he played well last year in his only start (at Rutgers) and has all summer to add to his frame in the weight room. But Arizona State transfer LaDarius Henderson was re- cruited here for a reason — and we strongly believe it was to solidify the left side of the line. He was a Sun Devils captain last year and started six games before he got hurt and missed the rest of the season. The 6-foot-5, 310-pound grad student notched 10 of his 29 starts at left tackle and can play the posi- tion well. Per Pro Football Focus, Henderson has allowed only 2 sacks on 619 pass-blocking snaps over the last two seasons. He'll go down as U-M's top portal addition. Drake Nugent Is The Center Of Attention By Clayton Sayfie Most of Michigan's incoming transfers should make an im- pact this fall, but graduate center Drake Nugent will make the biggest splash. Limited in spring while recovering from an injury suffered in 2022, the Stanford transfer didn't get to show his ability. He'll have to fend off juniors Raheem Anderson and Greg Crippen, both of whom have promise, but we project he'll be the starter. There are other viable contenders, but given Nugent's posi- tion — and his talent, level of experience and leadership skills — he'll be the most important portal pickup. We saw how impact- ful Olu Oluwatimi, a Virginia transfer, was at center last season, and Nugent is next in line and a Rimington Award contender. Walter Camp named Nugent a preseason first-team All- American, and Pro Football Focus listed him as the best return- ing center in college football. Per the analytics site, Nugent's 84.1 run-blocking grade ranked third among all centers in the sport in 2022 — and his prowess in that area is a perfect match for the Wolverines' run-heavy offense. It's also important to get leadership out of the center spot, and Nugent will provide that, like Oluwatimi did as an alter- nate captain a year ago. Nugent was a captain at Stanford last fall, he's been around the Michigan program since January and should be a seamless fit in the middle of an offensive line that is looking to three-peat as the Joe Moore Award winners. ❱ POINT ❙ COUNTERPOINT ❰ WHICH TRANSFER WILL MAKE THE BIGGEST IMPACT FOR U-M FOOTBALL THIS FALL? Daily updates and analysis from EJ Holland and Zach Libby from their cross-country travels. Go behind the scenes with exclusive coverage from Chris Balas, Clayton Sayfie and Anthony Broome. The best Wolverines message board on the web. A cleaner database with more information than any predecessor. The Premier Michigan Site, Now On The Network! Sign up now at TheWolverine.com! JOIN THEWOLVERINE.COM JOIN THEWOLVERINE.COM ONLY $29.99 ONLY $29.99 FOR ACCESS UNTIL AUG. 31, 2023! FOR ACCESS UNTIL AUG. 31, 2023! RECRUITING SCOOP DAILY TEAM COVERAGE STRONG COMMUNITY NEXT-GENERATION PLAYER DATABASE NOTE: TheWolverine.com is the companion site to The Wolverine magazine. It is a separate subscription and is NOT included with the magazine.