The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 43 struggled here last year. What are the plans to fix that and how real is the fan- favorite phrase of "scheming people open?" Lindsey: "Let's just be honest … the players are the No. 1 thing. All these guys that are really good coaches are really good when they have great players. When they don't … "It's a players' game. But at the end of the day, we've got to get as many oppor- tunities to use our best players to create those explosive plays as we can. We've got to be willing to do that. That's what we try to focus on, and it's pretty sim- ple — we sit down and say, 'Who are our most explosive players, who do we need to get the ball to, and how do we do that over and over?' "It's hard to get guys wide open in col- lege football. They're going to have to make contested catches. We're going to have to do some things to get some guys open. At the end of the day, good football teams make you earn it. That's why the personnel is so important. We're trying to add to what we have with some wrinkles here and there that might create some explosives." The Wolverine: To be blunt, the of- fensive line wasn't up to Michigan stan- dards last year. Do you think you'll be OK there, and what did you see from them this spring? Lindsey: "I think we will. We've got some things to figure out. When I think about Michigan, I go back to 2023. That offensive line, I don't know that there will be another group like that in college football. That was an elite, veteran group. "But I like the progress we've made. Our center, [graduate student] Greg Crippen, he's played a bunch. The one thing you can never take for granted is experience, especially at center, when you're talking about getting IDs right. I thought he had a good spring. " I t h o u g h t [ so p h o m o re] A n d rew Sprague was really solid, and [junior] Evan Link got better as it went. He played really well in the bowl game. Moving him out to tackle some was a little adjustment there, but he's played multiple spots, and he's played and will play well at times. "[Grad student] Gio El-Hadi is a solid veteran. I think he took a step with lead- ership this spring, and [junior guard] Na- than Efobi had, according to [line coach] Grant [Newsome] his best spring since he's been here. We need him to step up and add some depth to that room, be- cause we're going to need eight or nine guys who can play. "[Cal-Poly transfer] Brady Norton is a great addition. He's strong. When you look at him you might say, 'Is he re- ally going to play here?' But he's strong, physical, smart and understands foot- ball. He made a lot of progress. Now he's comfortable. And then we have Andrew Babalola and other young guys who are going to be really good in time." The Wolverine: It's not often you see true freshmen starting on the offensive line at elite programs, but Babalola is in the mix at left tackle. What makes him a candidate there despite his youth? Is it just a matter of players being more ad- vanced out of high school these days? Lindsey: "I think guys are more de- veloped now at every position, includ- ing the offensive line. O-line is prob- ably the hardest one just from a physical standpoint, but now these guys get here in January. They go through most of the offseason on a nutrition program. Bodies change pretty quickly when they start doing that. "Babs is really intelligent. Sometimes what keeps guys from reaching their early potential is figuring out the calls or the fronts. "I like the progress he's making, but we'll see. In this day and age, though, if they're ready, you play them. What you've got to do is have that right mix of older and young guys that can be put together to make the best team you can have." The Wolverine: Michigan has been known for its tight end usage over the last several years, and you've used them a lot over the years, too. How much will that factor into your offense and game plans here? Lindsey: "It depends. If you look at North Carolina, our tight ends were a huge part of it because of the guys we had there. One thing about Michigan is we can re- cruit tight ends. Those guys want to play here. "[Graduate student] Max Bredeson is that throwback player people don't really have anymore. When I was at Auburn, I had a kid named Chandler Cox who was very similar to Max. The first time I was at Auburn we had Jay Prosch, as well … both H-back, fullback-type guys. "Max is one of the leaders on this team, and not just the offense. He'll play a huge role, and he's a guy that can do a lot of things at the point of contact. He's ath- letic and able to get out in space some. "[Senior] Marlin Klein, his potential is off the charts. He's a big, athletic guy who can run. After losing a first-round pick in Colston Loveland, we need him to take that next step. [Junior] Jalen Hoffman has made tons of progress, as have [junior] Zack Marshall and the others. … A lot of those guys are going to be a huge part of our offense." The Wolverine: A lot of fans hear " balanced offense" and think that means you're going to run and pass 50 percent of the time when that's not always the case. What's your defini- tion of a balanced offense? Lindsey: "I think balance is more about your playmakers and making sure all the positions contribute. Obviously, running the football is important. It's a premium here. It's who we are. We have [junior] Jus- tice Haynes and [sophomore] Jordan Mar- shall, and we need more than one. "I've been fortunate. In 2015 at South- ern Mississippi, we had two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season. The last two years [at UNC] we had Omarion Hamp- ton, who was the bell cow. He had over 1,500 yards both years. I think both Jor- dan and Justice are different backs than Omarion, but those two guys will share the load. "The best thing about them is they're versatile. They can catch the ball out of the backfield; they can pass protect. They're both every-down backs, and that is really good. What we're trying to figure out now is who's that third guy? "When Sherrone and I started talking, our philosophy was the same — we want to be able to run the football. My DNA is to be physical but also have the ability to create more explosive plays. That's what we're going to try to do." ❑ "My DNA is to be physical but also have the ability to create more explosive plays." LINDSEY