Michigan football has 'flexibility' along offensive line thanks to these 2 players

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Michigan football is still figuring out which five players will start along the offensive line this fall.

But according to coach Jim Harbaugh, at least three players have claimed starting spots in whichever group of five the Wolverines do eventually settle upon.

“There’s just a battle going on to get to the five best and that’s going to continue post spring,” Harbaugh said on the 'In the Trenches' podcast with Jon Jansen last Thursday. “It’s going on now, it’s going to continue through the summer, and also into fall camp.

“But Ryan Hayes, Zak Zinter, Andrew Stueber, they are guys that had that experience that are very good players, put an exclamation mark on that in the spring, I would call them three solid starters of the top five.”

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Michigan Wolverines offensive lineman Zak Zinter (65), Nolan Rumler (55) and Zach Carpenter (58) warm up before the game vs. Wisconsin at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Nov. 14, 2020.
Michigan Wolverines offensive lineman Zak Zinter (65), Nolan Rumler (55) and Zach Carpenter (58) warm up before the game vs. Wisconsin at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Nov. 14, 2020.

All three saw extensive playing time in 2020. Hayes, now a redshirt junior, started two games at left tackle before missing the rest of the season due to injury; Zinter, a sophomore, played in all six games, making four starts at right guard; and Stueber, a fifth-year senior, started four games at right tackle and two at right guard.

According to Harbaugh, Hayes is a “true tackle” — but Zinter and Stueber have positional versatility, which will help the Wolverines in their search for the five best offensive linemen.

Stueber, who has appeared in 20 career games and is the most experienced lineman on the roster, can flip between tackle and guard. Zinter can play all five positions, Harbaugh says — although the former four-star recruit has mostly concentrated on the three interior spots.

“There’s so much flexibility to find the five best because of the versatility of Zak Zinter and Andrew Stueber,” Harbaugh said. “They give you all the flexibility you really need, getting to the best five.”

Michigan offensive lineman Andrew Stueber during the spring game April 13, 2019, in Ann Arbor.
Michigan offensive lineman Andrew Stueber during the spring game April 13, 2019, in Ann Arbor.

Because of the increased number of combinations up front, the competition for the final two spots boils down to guard and tackle.

And there's plenty of competition for those two remaining spots.

“There’s a group of other guys there that have got experience, have started, have played in games that are battling for those next two spots,” Harbaugh said. “How it configures with the best five being on the starting line. Karsen Barnhart, Trevor Keegan, Chuck Filiaga all have played and started and had good springs.

“Andrew Vastardis, Nolan Rumler, Trente Jones, three more guys that have either played a lot of football here or had really good springs — Nolan Rumler and Trente Jones both are in the mix.”

Of that group of six, four have starting experience. Filiaga, a fifth-year senior, started all six games in 2020 at left guard. Vastardis, who returned for a sixth season, started four games at center.

Barnhart, a redshirt sophomore, started four games at left tackle after Hayes was injured. And Keegan, a redshirt sophomore, appeared in two games along the offensive line and played most of the Penn State game at right guard.

Barnhart and Jones are competing at tackle, Harbaugh said. The other four players in the group of six play along the interior.

Harbaugh praised the work of offensive line coach Sherrone Moore, who took over the position group this offseason after the departure of former offensive line coach Ed Warinner, and said Moore has “a lot of good guys to work with there.”

“There is a big group,” Harbaugh said. “There’s a top tier of three guys that have really shown they are going to be tremendous players for us, and then there’s another six there that are just right on the verge and competing for those last two spots. Players that are also fighting for those two-deep spots, as well.”

Contact Orion Sang at osang@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @orion_sang. Read more on the Michigan Wolverines and sign up for our Wolverines newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football has 'flexibility' along OL thanks to these 2 players