Michigan football has won the Joe Moore Award — given to the nation’s best offensive line — two-straight years. But with center Olu Oluwatimi (the winner of the Rimington and Outland trophies) and left tackle Ryan Hayes off to the NFL, how will the unit be for the Wolverines in 2023?
According to PFF’s Max Chadwick, pretty, pretty good.
Chadwick ranked the best offensive lines entering the 2023 season, and with incoming transfers Drake Nugent (center), LaDarius Henderson (left tackle), and Myles Hinton (tackle), once again, the maize and blue have the best offensive front in all of college football.
1. MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
Last season, Michigan became the first school to win two consecutive Joe Moore Awards, given to the nation’s best offensive line. The Wolverines should be the favorites to three-peat in 2023.
Zak Zinter is back at right guard and is my No. 3 interior offensive lineman in the country. The senior was the second-most-valuable Power Five guard last season, according to PFF’s wins above average metric. Drake Nugent transfers in from Stanford and is one of the best centers in the nation. His 84.1 run-blocking grade last year ranked third among FBS centers.
Michigan also returns another two starters in left guard Trevor Keegan and right tackle Karsen Barnhart. Meanwhile, Arizona State transfer LaDarius Henderson is the favorite to take over at left tackle for the departed Ryan Hayes. Over the past two seasons, Henderson’s 2.0% pressure rate allowed ranked fifth among Pac-12 guards.
As for depth, the Wolverines brought in Stanford tackle Myles Hinton, who placed fourth among Power Five tackles in 2022 with a 1.8% pressure rate allowed. Trente Jones also returns and ranked sixth among Big Ten tackles last season with a 78.1 grade.
No. 2 on the list is Georgia. There’s no other Big Ten team on the list of 10.
Considering that the Wolverines also return Blake Corum — who PFF has as the best running back in the country — and Donovan Edwards (Chadwick also has Michigan’s RB room as the best nationally), it’s an incredible position for the maize and blue to be in entering 2023.
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