ANN ARBOR, Mich. — On Tuesday, Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh said the offensive tackle competition may go the way of last year’s quarterback competition.
Calling it “the Michigan method,” Harbaugh anticipates a starter will not be determined until in-season, thus, he’s loosely planning on starting one tackle on each side in Week 1, and another on either side in Week 2.
Such is the case when you have an embarrassment of riches as the Wolverines have, with Karsen Barnhart and LaDarius Henderson battling for the left tackle position while Trente Jones and Myles Hinton work for the right tackle spot. All four have starting experience to go along with the many other players on the interior of the line who also find themselves in similar battles.
It’s not something that Barnhart, who Harbaugh said may be having the best camp of anyone, is sweating. After all, he wasn’t named the starter at right tackle last year, but he ended up playing more than half the season as the first man up regardless of that.
“It’s great that the room has that 10-plus starters that we have. And we have so much depth,” Barnhart said. “I mean, you’ve seen in years past where the first five that walk out there, aren’t the first five that walk out there and game 12-13. And it just brings so much depth and so much competition. And the ceiling that we have just keeps growing every day.
“And for LD to push me, me to push him, guys to push Myles — everybody wants to be the best and everybody wants to be out there.”
So, what does he think of the so-called “Michigan method?” Barnhart says whether he wins the starting job or not, he will be a team player.
“I mean, if that’s the way we go, that’s where we go,” Barnhart said. “I think there’s nothing new about it and I’m willing to — if I have to watch and if somebody’s better than me, I’m gonna be right there supporting them and helping them all the way through, throughout games. And I hope I get the same respect back.”
The battle for left tackle has been fierce, but both Barnhart and Henderson have each other’s back, Barnhart says. And as the duo work to supplant the other, it’s making each better in the long run.
After all, iron sharpens iron.
“I guess the main thing is that he wants to be out there and I want to be out there at the same time,” Barnhart said. “And I guess that’s a way to push each other. And at the same time, if he’s doing something wrong, I’m coaching him up if I’m doing something wrong he’s coaching me up. And we just play off of each other like that.”
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