The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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56 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JUNE/JULY 2024 ❱ COMMIT PROFILE BY ZACH LIBBY T he fifth verbal commitment in the 2025 recruiting class for Michigan grew up less than an hour from Ann Ar- bor. Four-star Birmingham (Mich.) Wylie E. Groves High offensive lineman Avery Gach announced his pledge to the reign- ing College Football Playoff champions on May 3, holding a ceremony inside his high school auditorium. He became the second in-state prospect this cycle to choose the Wolverines. "I'm feeling amazing," Gach told The Wolverine. "The stress is gone, and I'm feeling so good right now. The coaching staff is amazing. They produce offen- sive linemen into NFL Draft picks. They just came off a national championship, which was awesome to watch. I love the facilities, the people — who are great — and the culture." Gach was offered by Michigan while on his first visit to Ann Arbor during the 2022 season when he appeared at The Big House for the win over Penn State. Since then, he's embarked on nine more visits, including three this spring, culminating in his most recent trip on April 20 for the annual spring game. Listed as the No. 249 overall pros- pect and the No. 19 interior offensive lineman in the country, and the No. 2 prospect in the state of Michigan ac- cording to the On3 Industry Ranking, Gach picked Michigan over notable of- fers from Michigan State, where both of his parents graduated, Ohio State, Penn State, Alabama, Georgia, USC, Wiscon- sin, Notre Dame and others. Shortly before his commitment, the 6-4, 270-pounder released a top-four list of Big Ten schools that featured U-M, MSU, the Buckeyes and the Badgers. "It's an honor at the end of the day because a lot of kids would want to be in this position," Gach said. "I take that very seriously. I want to play as early as possible, and I think I can do that. I hope to have an impact on the team and O- line." Before Sherrone Moore was ele- vated to his new role as Michigan's head coach, he extended an offer to Gach 19 months ago on that Penn State game weekend. Leading up to Gach's deci- sion, the pair formed a tight-knit bond that revolved around Moore pitching the junior to join a unit that's won the Joe Moore Award, given to the nation's top collegiate offensive line, twice in the past three seasons. Moore received assistance in building a line of communication with Gach from new offensive line coach Grant New- some, who was introduced to the stand- out prospect prior to moving over from tight ends. The opportunity to learn un- der both coaches was a significant factor in Gach staying close to home. "Coach Moore is a great coach and an even better guy at the end of the day," Gach said. "That's what matters. I can't wait to play under him. Coach New- some is the best O-line coach that I've talked to. He's very knowledgeable. He's a young guy, which I like, and he's played there. I'm just so excited to get up there and start working with him." Gach also received numerous peer re- cruiting pitches from the rostered Michi- gan offensive linemen. In the 2024 cycle, the Wolverines signed five offensive linemen, includ- ing two early enrollees in center Jake Guarnera and tackle Blake Frazier. They played a role in welcoming Gach to the facilities and provided a player's per- spective on what to expect. "Those are great guys, and they're re- ally good players. They're really chill to be around. I like them," Gach said. Gach is coming off a junior campaign in which he recorded 90 pancake blocks and led Birmingham Groves to a 6-4 re- cord. Named to the Detroit News All- State Dream Team, Gach was also hon- ored with first-team all-state recognition by the Associated Press and Michigan High School Football Coaches Associa- tion. "Michigan is getting a physical and nasty player who'll work hard and won't take plays off," he said. "And I'm going to take care of business in the classroom." Gach joins Top-100 Oak Park (Ill.) Fenwick edge Nate Marshall, On300 Ft. Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot quar- te r b a c k C a r te r S m i t h , fo u r- s ta r Howell (Mich.) High defensive line- man Bobby Kanka and three-star Alcoa (Tenn.) High tight end Eli Owens to make up Michigan's 2025 recruiting class, which was listed at No. 15 in the 2025 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings as of May 6. ❑ U-M Lands Tough In-State Offensive Lineman Avery Gach Gach became the fifth U-M commit in the 2025 recruiting cycle on May 3. He is rated as the No. 19 interior offensive lineman nation- ally and the No. 2 overall prospect in Michigan in the On3 Industry Ranking. PHOTO BY ZACH LIBBY PLAYER EVALUATION STRENGTHS: "First off, Gach has always had really good film. He's a strong drive blocker. He moves well and just dominates his level of competition like you would hope for. He's just a strong finisher and violent player. Those are certainly strong suits of his, along with his movement skills, mentality and play strength." AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: "He needs to continue to get bigger and stronger. When you look at Gach as a prospect, he's really got to play on the interior because he's not the longest. He doesn't have the biggest frame in terms of arm length and size. I think he's probably going to be projected in the interior. I could see him being a center, potentially, or a guard. The biggest thing with him is going to be maxing out the frame to make the most of his physical abilities." PLAYER COMPARISON: "He reminds me a little bit of Michal Menet, who played at Penn State. He was a center and got drafted [in the seventh round by the Arizona Cardinals] in 2021. I see some similarities there. Most of the guys who Gach compares to are centers." — On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power