On what his time in Ann Arbor has been like

So far, honestly, I've loved it. Everybody kind of complains about the weather in the wintertime and what not but I'm kind of used to it being from Colorado even though Stanford was sunny all year round. I'm kind of just going back to my roots if you want to say. It's been great. All the guys are good. It's been a little frustrating because I'm coming off an injury.

On the rehab process and the challenge

Obviously, as a new guy, you're trying to come in and compete for a spot but you can't do that in the springtime so you're kind of just—it was my first time, even at Stanford, I didn't have any injuries. I never missed football for any period of time like that. Just sitting there watching practice and everyone else is getting better, you're just like, cool. At least I wasn't alone. I had guys like Corum and Dono and Zak, too. There was a lot of injuries. I was able to lean on them and just get after it in the weight room during practices. It's been a little frustrating but I am getting back into it now and it's starting to come together.

On why he chose to transfer and why he picked Michigan

I was kind of on the fence about going into the portal or not but I really just wanted to, number one, come to a winning program that could elevate my game. I guess there is a stigma between PAC 12, SEC versus Big Ten football, obviously. I think I had a couple of strong years at Stanford but I think, for me to really prove myself at the next level, I've got to do that in these conferences as well. That was kind of my main thought process behind it. Coach Shaw resigned at Stanford and that kind of sold me, I was like, OK, I'm probably out. I met with the new coaches there and I told them that, I was truthful. I want those guys—I love those guys, I want them to do well. I just wanted to come to a place that was all about football. Everybody is about the team, they're winning games, they've got some momentum and a place where I can come in and help.

On the offensive line room

They've been great, honestly. From top to bottom. Fifth year all the way down to young Amir who just came in, I'm boys with all the guys now. It was pretty easy to get acclimated, I feel like, because I feel like the O-line room is pretty similar across most places. I think guys always have a similar mindset when it comes to a lot of things. Stereotypical o-linemen room. It's been fun to get to know those guys and get after it in the weight room and stuff like that. It's been fun.

On what he brings to the program

Competitiveness, I'd probably say. I've gotten a couple of jokes, Coach Moore would always tell me that I'm always angry and stuff like that. I don't like to think I am but it's not the first time I've heard that. I feel like I bring a business mentality. I have fun outside of here with the guys but as soon as you're in the building, you're at practice, workouts, meetings, I just take my business very seriously because I care about this. It's been kind of tough to know what exactly I bring to the team because I haven't been out there on the field but I've been trying to carry over exactly what I did at Stanford. I was captain there last year, probably one of the best honors that I have ever had in my football career. I thought to myself, OK, it's still college football. If I can continue to do what I've done and apply those standards to myself there to here, everything else will work out for itself.

On the potential of the Michigan program

It definitely did play a part. My main criteria coming out of the portal was I wanted to go somewhere with a good quarterback, good running back and other good o-linemen. If I can do that, if I have those, it's probably on a good team that's already winning. I'm a firm believer in other guys around you. You're a product of your environment. Other guys are going to level you up and push you to be better. I wanted to go somewhere I was one of the least amount of talented guys on the roster or in the room, whatever it may be. Mentality-wise, I can elevate myself and hold myself to an even higher standard than I have been.

On his work ethic

I guess it's a compliment. I've kind of always been like that, since high school, really. I think it's being a shorter guy makes me think that I'm always, not think, but I guess it makes me look down up, literally. I guess I feel like I'm always undervalued even though some people may differ that argument. I guess redlining would be going all out as much as you can until you break, I guess.

On how he maintains that level of intensity

That's part of the reason why I got that injury. I was always doing heavy squats and stuff, trying to do too much. I think it caught up with me these past couple of years at Stanford. I just had some bad knee pain. It wasn't anything detrimental or structurally wrong, it was just super painful stuff. Tendonitis stuff. I think, looking back on it, I think I went on it a little too much at times but, at the same time, it did get me here. I don't know how much I would regret that at the same time.

On Myles Hinton

The dude is a physical freak. I've always been a weight room junkie, I love lifting weights and trying to be top numbers in everything. Then you get guys like him who can do it naturally and as soon as he realizes he can do it naturally, he puts even more work in. It's just terrifying what he can do. I've seen players like him barely touch someone and they fly 10 yards and you're like, oh my God, do that every play. You'll be a first-team All-American. When I look at him, it's just like, he's a monster of a human being. As soon as he's able to harness that, be explosive on the field and just apply it to everything he does and the small, minute, details with playing offensive line, he'll be a damn good player.

On whether there's an advantage to have a familiar face come with him

It helped me a lot, too, because I knew some of the other o-line guys here who were from Colorado. I trained with them in high school like Reese and Gentry, I played against him like every year in the playoffs. Connor Jones, I know him, he's a young guy. I trained with him whenever I'd go home when I was at Stanford. I called them and tried to get their input from the portal. I knew this was going to be a place where if I got the opportunity, I'm pulling the trigger just because of the reputation the o-line has had, Coach Moore, the running backs, the skill guys, everything I've kind of covered. Especially having him, living with him now, too, it's been huge. It's not super weird either because we still hung out at Stanford. I wouldn't say we were best friends at Stanford but it wasn't like we were complete—we're boys. It's been nice.

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