ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan football is making the finishing touches when it comes to establishing the starting lineup for the 2024 season with just five days before the home opener against Fresno State.
There are just a few positions that aren’t decided — quarterback being the big one — but one that’s still being worked out is the player who will get the ball in the QB’s hands every play.
In spring, it was a foregone conclusion that Greg Crippen, a fourth-year player out of IMG Academy, would finally get his chance, but the spring competition got ramped up between him and former Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech center Raheem Anderson.
However, another name has entered the fray — and he has a good chance to win out.
Dominick Giudice from Freehold (N.J.) Mater Dei was the second-lowest-rated commitment in the 2021 recruiting class, ahead of only punter Tommy Doman. Giudice came to Ann Arbor expecting to be an edge rusher before transitioning to the middle of the defense as a tackle. However, last year, he made the switch to the offensive side of the ball and now he’s in the thick of it as the potential starting center, battling with Crippen.
“Right now, at center, we’ve got a couple guys,” Moore said. “We’ve got Dom Giudice, we’ve got Greg Crippen, and we’ve got Raheem Anderson. Right now, it’s still a competition. So we’ll see who does it. I think Crippen and Dom have been the top two in camp so far. So we’ll see how they compete this week.”
The right tackle battle, likewise, was expected to be an obvious win for either Andrew Gentry or Jeff Persi, but second-year tackle Evan Link has made an imprint there.
“Then our right tackle, Andrew Gentry, Evan Link, have been the top two candidates there,” Moore said. “So we’ll see what happens this week. But I feel like we’ve got a good — we’ll have more insight and cement as we go through the rest of the week.”
So what has allowed both Giudice and Link to make such an impact where they very well could end up starting for the Wolverines on the first snap against Fresno State?
Moore says both are talented and both know what they’re supposed to be doing. But really, it’s Michigan’s cross-training that’s allowed them to be able to find the positions that work best for them.
“I think just one, from a knowledge of the playbook standpoint, knowing what to do and how to do it, both have the talent, both have the ability, but the toughness and the mental toughness to withstand all the strain,” Moore said. “And as you go through camp and different things happen, be able to be flexible. Play right, play left, play center, play guard, and be one of the best five. Because that’s all we’re going to do is try to find the best five. That’s how we built the line, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”