One can make the argument that Michigan is working with an entirely new offensive line with fresh faces but the Wolverines certainly don't see it that way.
Whether you're speaking to players or coaches, they see the offensive line unit as an experienced one with faces that shouldn't be necessarily be considered new despite what the program lost last season.
For senior Myles Hinton, he has been mentioned as a de facto starter since spring, now he is working to build chemistry on the field with the rest of the presumptive starters during fall camp.
"I feel like the ones and twos last year could've played and started at any school in the country," Hinton said. "I feel like there's still that skill level that was there, it's about meshing as an O-line unit. Last year's group, they've played together for a long time so they have that mesh. It's all about, this year, finding our groove as an O-line. It's not really about, the skill is not there, ok, how can these five guys work together to mesh and be a unit?"
So how does one mesh with a unit that hasn't played together as much as the Wolverines' offensive line unit from last season?
Hinton says it comes down to on-the-field production as well as building bonds off the field, too, regardless of where you sit on the depth chart.
"I feel like a lot of it is off the field as well," Hinton said. "If you're boys with the whole line, it makes it a lot easier to communicate and work together as a unit. I feel like we're doing well this year, the whole room is really close this year. Not just the starting five, the whole entire room has been like chatting with everybody. I can call up, even the freshmen, call them up, chat them up for a while."
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