ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Nearly two years ago, Michigan football right guard Trevor Keegan intimated he wanted to trim down, and he took it upon himself to do just that entering the 2022 season. However, after losing a bunch of weight last year, Keegan is up 15 pounds, clocking in at 320 pounds entering the 2023 season.
So why did he think it was better to be lighter and move better before deciding against exactly that?
“Yeah, I think last year, I was like around 300-305, felt really good on my feet,” Keegan said. “It was just a little more difficult against a bigger three-tech, against a bigger two-I (interior lineman), eat a bull rush. So I just gain some muscle, gain a little more weight, but still be quick on my feet. So that’s kind of where I got it from.”
So does that mean no more salads for the enigmatic offensive lineman? No, there’s still going to be salads on his menus, it’s just with all of the extra stuff.
“Just some more croutons on the salads!” Keegan joked. “A little more dressing!”
Despite the extra weight, Keegan still looks rather svelte, indicating the weight gain was certainly muscle. Though his intentions are to be in the best physical shape to allow himself to dominate opposing defensive linemen across from him, he also has other priorities this year.
Keegan has taken it upon himself to be a leader on this team, and while that means holding other players accountable, that’s not all of it. That also means having a better grasp of the offense, knowing more about what defenses are throwing at the maize and blue, and being able to impart that upon his teammates.
If the Wolverines are going to win a national championship, it’s not going to happen in one day. It will be a culmination of an offseason’s worth of work, Keegan says.
“Since it’s my fifth year now, got a really good grasp on our program and the playbook,” Keegan said. “I really honed in, just trying to read coverages and how safeties work and where the blitzes are coming from. So just trying to spread my knowledge to the younger guys, just trying to be a better leader.
“I’ve always been like a talker, just always doing the right thing. But the balcony view is just — I really don’t understand it, to be honest with you. But our big thing is be where our feet are. So I’m just taking it day by day, and our big thing right now is process over prize. We’re not going to win a national championship today, it’s gonna take day by day — 1% better each day and it’ll take care of itself. So that’s kind of my mindset.”
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