Michigan offensive line coach Ed Warinner has one last player to work with for now after redshirt sophomore right tackle Andrew Stueber went down with an injury. Stueber will be out indefinitely, leaving it to others to step up.
Warinner told former Michigan All-American Jon Jansen on Jansen's recent In The Trenches Podcast that redshirt freshman Ryan Hayes would probably be the next man up after starter (and fellow redshirt frosh) Jalen Mayfield.
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“Jalen was competing day in and day out,” Warinner told Jansen. "Over the course of the 11 fall practices and all through spring, they rotated 50/50 at that position. This fall, it’s been 50/50 rotating with the ones and twos.
“It's hard to say if there was any separation there. Jalen is a quality player — athletic, fast, very competitive, learns well.”
Hayes, a favorite of senior left guard Ben Bredeson, has added 28 pounds from 271 to 299 and made great strides.
"He might be ahead of everyone right now," Warinner said of the backups. “Ryan’s versatile, so he could play right side or left side.”
Redshirt sophomore Joel Honigford has been bumped from guard to tackle to provide depth, while freshmen Trente Jones, Trevor Keegan and Karsen Barnhart are also competing there.
“We have a lot of options,” Warinner said. “We’ll let that play itself out so we can see who can grasp that second backup position and go with it. Time will tell, but we feel good about our future and feel like we have good depth at that position.”
They also have an abundance of talent at the other positions. Left to right, fifth-year senior Jon Runyan, Jr., Bredeson, junior center Cesar Ruiz and senior Michael Onwenu give the Wolverines an outstanding foursome to build around. Redshirt sophomore Chuck Filiaga is the backup left guard, redshirt junior Stephen Spanellis the No. 2 center and redshirt sophomore Andrew Vastardis is the backup right guard with Honigford moving to tackle.
Regardless, Stueber will be missed.
“Andrew’s a great kid," Warinner said. "He was competing for the starting spot. He was doing a great job, day in and day out ... played in 13 games, so it really hurts you.
“But ... you realize in football that these things happen and you’ve prepared other players, other guys, to step in.”
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