Michigan has had success with walk-ons on the lines in recent years, primarily with guys named “Glasgow.” Senior offensive lineman Andrew Vastardis hopes to follow former o-lineman Graham Glasgow’s lead in going from non-scholarship player to Michigan’s starting center.

Vastardis spent weeks doing whatever he could to stay in shape for when the season began, including finding household items to lift and pushing cars. Whatever he did worked … he’s put himself in the driver’s seat to start at center in the Oct. 24 opener at Minnesota.

Concentrating on technique and knowing the playbook has opened the door.

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“When we were all apart in the summer, it was a lot of Zoom [meetings]. We took it really slow, revisiting the day-one stuff [offensive coordinator Josh Gattis] had gone through when this whole new install started," Vastardis told Jon Jansen on a recent In The Trenches podcast. "As we went along, we kept going little bit by little bit … we got through that several times. It really helped hammer it in coming back, and I’m sure it helped the younger guys who were learning for the first time hammer it in.

“As soon as we were able to hit the field do these controlled practices, we had a really good mental basis for the playbook. Now it’s just transitioning mental to the physical.”

That’s where the men are separated from the boys, and when position battles will really be won. But Vastardis did plenty last year in practice and limited game action to prove he belonged. He’s battling with redshirt frosh Zack Carpenter and others and hasn’t let his guard down, even as the favorite.

… “You think when you’re in the trenches it’s all thumping and grinding. Once you get down to just the footwork, the little details that are actually the big points, winning or losing a block … being able to focus on those little aspects every day, day in, day out until we can put the pads on, I feel it’s gotten us in sync with the little things, which is going to pay dividends when we are tired in games or down later in the season,” he said. “We’ll just [revert] to our training.

“But we’re all ecstatic for [padded practices]. You work on non-contact details so much, you get to the point where it’s gosh, I wish we could go … that’s been happening more and more as we’ve gone along. We’re looking forward to testing every day. It’s going to be just like letting a dog off a leash for all of us.”

They’d been teased so long by the Big Ten — first there was football, then there wasn’t, then there was again — that the recent schedule release was like Christmas morning, Vastardis admitted. U-M got a tough draw, getting two of the Big Ten West’s best in Minnesota and Wisconsin, but Vastardis insisted they were ready to go.

Playing for the Brown Jug “means everything,” he said, adding Minnesota is now “on the clock” and has their full attention.

“Going back, the first game I ever played in was when Minnesota came here,” he said. “That really lights a fire underneath me, and I’m going to transfer it to the younger guys on the team. Guys can worry about who’s playing what teams, who we’re playing, but all it comes down to is treating every opponent no matter who it is with the utmost respect, going in with the utmost violence and trying to win every game as much as you can … dominate the line of scrimmage for us.

“Whoever it is, albeit the two best teams from last year, we’re excited for both challenges … it really comes down to one one-on-one. Can you exert your will on someone to that point that your team wins that play?

"If all 11 guys can beat their one-on-one matchup on a play, it’s going to be a pretty damn good play. When it comes down to it, it’s just going to be who can be more nasty.”

He’s seen growth from the defensive line, too, and improvement across the board. They’ll need it to continue to improve throughout the year before facing Ohio State in the season finale.

Each opponent gets respect, but the OSU game still “means everything,” Vastardis said.

“You hear all this talk doesn’t mean that much. That pisses me off, personally,” he said. “Every time we come up short in that game, it’s been a long time to get over it. It comes back to every offseason … what are you doing to win that game, win those games?

“I feel as a unit, as a team, we’ve all found ways to improve.”

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