Jim Harbaugh calls crowded offensive line group ’a good problem’
The backbone of the Michigan offense will go through some changes in 2023. While Michigan needs to find it's new starting offensive line, thanks to the return of Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter, a load of Sherrone Moore-developed talent, and three experienced transfers, Michigan has nearly a dozen options. Picking the starters will be hard, but head coach Jim Harbaugh loves having this problem.
"That’s a good problem to have, right? How hard is it going to be to get the five starters?" Harbaugh said. "It will probably be pretty hard. Like it was last year. We had seven, eight guys, that were starters."
Harbaugh used the term starter somewhat loosely in recent seasons. His reasoning is simply Michigan's roster is so deep now that there are players that should be starters but there simply aren't enough positions.
"If you look at it now: Karsen Barnhart, Trevor Keegan, Greg Crippen, Gio (Giovanni El-Hadi), Trente (Jones), Zak Zinter, Jeff Persi. I consider them all starters and LaDarius Henderson, Drake Nugent, Myles Hinton all capable."
Off the bat, it's clear Harbaugh is giving the early edge to the players Michigan recruited to Michigan vs the three incoming transfers. Barnhart, Keegan, and Zinter were all starters for the majority of the 2022 season. El-Hadi and Persi each started a game and played snaps due to injuries. Crippen is the only player mentioned by Harbaugh who does not have starting experience.
Nugent and Hinton were starters for Stanford the last two seasons, and while each has joined the program they are not a full go for spring practices according to Harbaugh. Henderson was a starter for Arizona State and will not join the team until the summer.
Michigan's options on the offensive line don't stop there, however, and Harbaugh was sure to give praise to the rest of the group.
"Andrew Gentry is going to be really good. Reece Atteberry’s really good, Dom Giudice has come over, he’s really good from the defensive side. Three really good freshmen coming in."
That's 16 players Harbaugh mentions when talking about the offensive line group. As Harbaugh said, a good problem to have, a problem that still needs to be solved. How are they going to make sure this group is successful? Well, Harbaugh answered that in a way only Harbaugh can.
"Keep attacking and everybody paying the price. As long as we’re doing that as long as everybody’s paying the price. Everybody is doing that then they and each person can grow to their potential. The only thing to avoid is that there are so many good players that others think that they can maybe give half the effort they should and still reap the benefits of success, but it just never works that way. Everybody’s got to pay the price to win. If that doesn’t happen, then everyone pays the price of losing. Nothing comes cheap."
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