Fall camp is underway in Ann Arbor as the Wolverines look to return to the College Football Playoff (CFP) in 2025. Sherrone Moore and company are certainly not lacking in talent, but there are a few positions that need to be sorted out before the regular season begins.<\/p>\n
Today, we evaluate the three most intriguing ongoing position battles.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s get the obvious one out of the way first: starting quarterback. Bryce Underwood has been discussed ad nauseam both on our site and around the fan base. The true freshman is tantalizingly talented, but has yet to even turn 18 (he will do so on Aug. 19, so he\u2019s close). Should Michigan hand him the keys from the first snap of the season, it would be an endorsement in his talent, but could come with some bumps along the way considering freshman quarterbacks typically struggle to start their careers.<\/p>\n
Mikey Keene presents quite the opposite skillset. He has started 30+ games at the collegiate level and is familiar with Chip Lindsey\u2019s offense. Keene would bring a level of stability to the position that could help the Wolverines get through a tough matchup with Oklahoma in Week 2.<\/p>\n
Davis Warren, known for beating Ohio State in Columbus last year, is not expected to contribute this fall as he returns from a torn ACL sustained in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Jadyn Davis and Jake Garcia are both depth pieces that could see action, but things would have gone drastically wrong for that to happen.<\/p>\n
Based on comments made by the coaching staff, it appears that three of the five spots along the offensive line are settled with Andrew Sprague at right tackle, Greg Crippen at center and Gio El-Hadi at left guard. Right guard is a remaining position battle, but Nathan Efobi seems like the heavy favorite there. Meanwhile, left tackle is a big question mark.<\/p>\n
Evan Link appears to be the leader in the clubhouse, but that is far from a done deal. Link struggled mightily through long stretches of the 2024 season at right tackle. He did progress near the end of the season, but not to an above-average level. However, he leads the group in experience and is expected to take a step forward.<\/p>\n
Blake Frazier was a highly touted recruit who has struggled with injuries in his brief time in Ann Arbor. Even though he\u2019s got a ton of potential, it would be a bit of a surprise to see him take over the left tackle job this year.<\/p>\n
Andrew Babalola and Ty Haywood are both highly regarded first-year players. True freshmen rarely ever start along the offensive line, especially at a place like Michigan. However Babalola specifically looks like he may be capable of bucking the trend. The first pick in the spring game, Babalola appears physically ready to compete at the Big Ten level.<\/p>\n
This is a legitimate battle, as there is no clear favorite for the starting job. This may be the one to monitor the most as fall camp continues.<\/p>\n
This position battle won\u2019t exist at all if Rod Moore is healthy by Week 1. However, rumors out of camp are he\u2019s doing well, but won\u2019t be quite ready. After Moore, Michigan has a loaded secondary room clamoring for playing time.<\/p>\n
TJ Metcalf, a transfer from Arkansas, has impressed tremendously so far and is likely in line for major playing time. His athleticism jumped off the screen in the spring game and the coaching staff has raved about him.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, Jaden Mangham returns and should be healthy this year. He was expected to contribute lightly last season, but injuries kept him off the field. Now healthy, I would at the very least expect him to be in the rotation this fall.<\/p>\n
Mason Curtis is another name worth knowing at this spot. Curtis is the definition of a hybrid player, as he is huge for a safety at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds. He was named Michigan\u2019s defensive Rookie of the Year last year, so he could factor in even more this year.<\/p>\n