The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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72 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW would grab everyone's attention, and the guys up front were determined to make it happen. "No doubt. We wanted to make sure everybody knew it wasn't a fluke," Keegan said. "I feel like everybody thought it was going to be like that last season — that it was just going to be a fluke. We had the two edge rushers in Aidan Hutchin- son and David Ojabo, Hassan Haskins [at running back]. People were saying, 'They don't have a lot coming back.' But we could feel it in our culture … the coaches, the dudes we had. "We let it speak for ourselves. It was awesome going down there in the 'Shoe, bringing a 'W' back. That was even more special that the first one, in my opinion." That's up for debate. To the Michigan fan base it might be like choosing your fa- vorite child — that's how much it meant. But years from now, the two-game stretch might well be looked upon like the 1969 Michigan win over Ohio State, a 24-12 victory some called the "upset of the century." No matter what Keegan accomplishes in the rest of his career (and the experts all say he's got a bright NFL future ahead of him), nobody in Ann Arbor will ever forget it. Unfinished Business But he's still got another year to add to that Michigan legacy, and he plans to make the most of it. As good as he's been, there's room for improvement. He did his homework to see what NFL teams wanted from him, and many of- fered the same advice. "Mostly, they want to see you stay on blocks to the second level," Keegan re- called. "A lot of it is staying balanced, too, and if you get knocked off balance, how to regain the balance. "Getting out in space, getting to the third level, finishing … there are little things like that I have to work on. But I knew I had to work on them, and we have a plan and will get those things done." As of now, many draft experts project Keegan as a fifth- or sixth-round pick. He played much of last year injured, though, and has a chance to show what he can do at 100 percent this year. He was limited this spring but dominant when he took the field, as you'd expect of a fifth- year guy. "Just time to heal, that helped a lot," he said. "Everything's been feeling pretty good. I had some stuff in my neck — a few stingers — and lost feeling in my hands a lit- tle bit. But with rest and stuff, I came back and was totally normal. I'm all good now." To some, he's already more than proven himself. Offensive line coach Sherrone Moore insists he wouldn't trade him for any other guard in the country. Former Michigan All-American and current U-M color commentator Jon Jansen called the coaches' first-team All-Big Ten guard "one of the best in the country," proud that he's wearing his old No. 77. "I want to see him play at an All-Amer- ican level, and I think he will. That's the reason you come back, right?" Jansen said. "To do that, to beat Ohio State three straight, to win three straight Big Ten championships. That's for both Keegan and Zinter. "To do what they've done in the center of the line, you have to have stable play from those guys. You count on good foot- work, placement, pad level, hat in hands. They're going to be in position to be All- Americans, and especially Keegan. Peo- ple are already talking about him. You've got to go out there and confirm all things being talked about in the offseason." Keegan will do it the way he's done it his entire career, Jansen predicted — by playing with great power and technique. He's always keeping his shoulders square, he noted, which allows him to get to the hole more quickly when he pulls and get to a linebacker. He's disciplined, and he's outstanding when it comes to working on double teams with guards or centers. "If you get turned, it creates leakage. He doesn't," Jansen said. "He doesn't leave his teammates vulnerable to get beat. You've got to be able to do the best Keegan has personal goals — to be an All-American and get drafted as highly as possible — but the team objectives come first, highlighted by the desire to celebrate a national title with teammates like J.J. McCarthy. PHOTO BY DOMINICK SOKOTOFF