The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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[ O F F E N S I V E L I N E ] 76 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW help us and him at the end of the day. "So, be patient with the process. A lot of guys want instant gratification, and I think it's good to have to wait sometimes and wait your turn. But he also knows he's competing. He's not sitting back there and saying, 'Hey — these guys are the stars. I'm going to sit back and not try to push them.' He's good with that." Senior Reece Atteberry, too, has played a lot of football at Michigan. The last we saw him he was pushing a pile of defend- ers into the end zone in the spring game, leading the way for a touchdown. "He broke his foot last spring, was re- ally trying to push through it in the fall but it really wasn't where it needed to be," Moore said. "For him, he needs to con- tinue to feel the confidence with that to help him as he goes through the process." Finally, sophomore Connor Jones con- tinues to put on good weight and will bat- tle to make the two-deep. He was scout team offensive player of the week before the Penn State win last year, proving his desire. "He's a guy that's just got to keep get- ting stronger, keep pushing," Moore said. "He knows what he's doing, knows how to get there. He just needs to keep learning the playbook and keep pushing himself from a strength standpoint." All-Important Left Tackle, Center Spots Are Up For Grabs When it comes to actual position bat- tles, two in particular will be under the spotlight in 2023 in left tackle and center, both critical to any line's success. Ryan Hayes started 29 games at left tackle in his career and locked the position down for three years before going to the Miami Dolphins in the NFL Draft. His absence has created op- portunity for several others. Two veterans, grad stu- dents Karsen Barnhart and Trente Jones, return with extensive experience, though primarily at right tackle. Left tackle would be an adjust- ment for either. "Karsen and [junior] Jeff Persi worked there this spring, and we even moved Trente over there and flipped sides," Moore said. "I like to get guys to work on both sides. But I don't know how it will shake out. "Jeff is getting stronger. The work he's been doing in the weight room, pushing himself physically and mentally, really has been paying off. The confidence he gained starting that Rutgers game last year really helped. He's going to continue on the up- ward trajectory." But Arizona State transfer LaDarius Henderson, a 6-foot-5, 310-pounder (29 starts with the Sun Devils), might be the favorite to capture the job. He spent spring finishing up classes for ASU and couldn't practice with the team, but he's proven to be a perfect fit. "He actually started out at Arizona State as a tackle and then moved to guard, but he played tackle all in high school," Moore reported. "He can do that, for sure. He has an elite skill set as well, so I'm just excited to see him in action. "He's one of the most joyous, happy people you'll ever be around. He's always smiling. He did a crushing leg workout with [strength coach] Ben Herbert in the weight room, doing something on a vol- untary basis, and the dude is just smiling. He's happy, excited that he got crushed … the guy is unbelievable." In Andrew Gentry and Myles Hinton, the Wolverines have a pair of players with All-Big Ten potential who will see the field at some point. Sophomore Gentry came to Michigan after a two-year hiatus on a church mission and continues to ascend. "I see a guy that's going to be a starting football player here at some point soon," Moore said. "He's just a large human be- ing, gracious … a great person off the field. But on the field, he plays with a nasty chip. "He's just gotten better and better. He's very versatile. He can play guard or tackle, and he's so long. He's got enough athleti- cism to play inside against fast twitch or outside against fast twitch, and he's going to be a great player here because he just continues to work his tail off." Gentry spent most of the spring at tackle, he told us in May. Hinton, too, is looking for his best fit. The 6-foot-6, 320-pound Stanford transfer (16 starts with the Cardinal) missed the spring with minor injuries but will be back with a ven- geance this fall. "He just looks like he en- gulfs people," Moore said. "He's extremely strong, very twitchy, plays with great pad level. He has all the tools for a big guy to play at the next level. We're very excited to have him on the team." Junior Tristan Bounds continues to improve. " He co n t i n u e s to ge t stronger," Moore said. "The main thing is trying to gain ❱ ❱ X-FACTOR X-FACTOR Depth is always critical throughout the course of a season, especially on the offensive line. Just ask junior GIOVANNI EL-HADI, who played nine games on the offensive line last year and made three starts at left guard. Both Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter have been banged up at times in their careers, needing someone to spell them in the lineup. El-Hadi was that guy last season and played well when called into action. He has the look of a future starter but could be relied on sooner rather than later if necessary. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL NFL LINEMEN DRAFTED UNDER JIM HARBAUGH Year Player Position Team Round Pick 2016 Graham Glasgow C Detroit Lions 3rd 95th 2018 Mason Cole C/T Arizona Cardinals 3rd 97th 2020 Cesar Ruiz C New Orleans Saints 1st 24th 2020 Ben Bredeson G Baltimore Ravens 4th 143rd 2020 Michael Onwenu G New England Patriots 6th 182nd 2020 Jon Runyan Jr. G Green Bay Packers 6th 192nd 2021 Jalen Mayfield T Atlanta Falcons 3rd 68th 2022 Andrew Stueber G New England Patriots 7th 245th 2023 Olu Oluwatimi C Seattle Seahawks 5th 154th 2023 Ryan Hayes T Miami Dolphins 7th 238th