The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503142
[ O F F E N S I V E L I N E ] 74 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW Ready FoR M ( o ) oRe Sherrone Moore's Offensive Line Has The Depth And Experience To Make A Run At A Third Straight Joe Moore Award BY CHRIS BALAS T here's been a new phrase thrown around at Schembechler Hall the last few years to help describe the vibe in the building, one that's helped bring back-to-back wins over Ohio State and Big Ten titles to the program: "Rich people problems." We've heard it so much from so many coaches to describe not only the wealth of talent they have among the starters at every position, but also the depth push- ing them that's making it tough to (a) separate the starters from the backups at many positions and (b) find ways to get elite players touches at the skill posi- tions. Nowhere is the embarrassment of riches more evident than the offensive line. Offensive coordinator/line coach Sherrone Moore has a group of around 10 players who could start at many, if not most, programs in the Big Ten, led by senior right guard Zak Zinter and grad student left guard Trevor Keegan. Now in his sixth year at Michigan, third as offensive coordinator and first as sole coordinator, Moore is often seen around the building with a smile on his face. At the same time, he's not taking anything for granted — nor has he let up in intensity. He's helped set the highest standard since moving to O-line coach in 2021, having led the Wolverines to back-to-back Joe Moore Awards as the nation's top offensive line, and the talent is there for a possible three-peat. "We've very excited about the whole group in general," Moore said in an ex- clusive interview this spring. "We're very fortunate to have the depth we're going to have, the players we have. We've got over 100 starts — I don't even know the exact number, but I saw a stat that it's like 150 starts between the guys we have in the room. It's crazy to think of the experience we have in that room alone." It's "everywhere" on offense, he added, not just on the offensive line, and he'll have a hand in all of it as the coordi- nator. He understands well, though, that Big Ten games are won in the trenches, and his men up front are ready to run through walls for him again. Some seem like locks to start — Keegan and Zinter, of course — but there's open competition at the other spots. "Obviously, we have some tremen- dous guys coming back that have played a lot of football and will have their chances to keep their spots," Moore said. "But I think there's going to be a lot of competition in fall, and we're excited to see how it shakes out." Elite Guard Duo Leads The Way There are few certainties heading into a season, so when you get them, you ap- preciate them. Moore couldn't have been happier when Keegan and Zinter an- nounced they'd return for one more year, passing up a chance at the NFL Draft. Keegan earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches playing QUICK FACTS Position Coach: Sherrone Moore (Third year coach- ing OLs at U-M, sixth overall) Returning Starters: Zak Zinter (30 career starts), Trevor Keegan (22), Karsen Barnhart (15) Departing Starters: Ryan Hayes (29), Olu Oluwatimi (14) Projected New Starters: LaDarius Henderson (29 at Arizona State), Drake Nugent (24 at Stanford) Top Reserves: Trente Jones (8), Giovanni El-Hadi (3), Myles Hinton (16 at Stanford), Raheem Anderson, Greg Crippen, Jeffrey Persi (1) Wait Until 2024: Reece Atteberry, Tristan Bounds, Andrew Gentry, Dom Giudice, Connor Jones Newcomers: Nathan Efobi, Amir Herring, Evan Link Moved In: Henderson, Nugent, Hinton Moved Out: N/A Rookie Impact: N/A Most Improved Player: Barnhart Best Pro Prospect: Zinter Senior right guard Zak Zinter (65) has started 21 consecutive games for U-M and was a first-team All-Big Ten selection last season. He was joined on the right side by grad student tackle Karsen Barnhart (52) for the last eight games of 2022. Barnhart was an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick and was U-M's Most Improved Player on of- fense. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER