ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Could Michigan football fans be in for a surprise on Saturday when they see the new-look starting offensive line? It’s beginning to feel that way.
Three positions have long been set in left tackle Myles Hinton, left guard Josh Priebe, and right guard Giovanni El-Hadi. But while Greg Crippen was expected to win the center job and either Jeff Persi or Andrew Gentry were expected to win right guard, two new challengers have come forth with converted-defensive tackle-turned-center Dominick Giudice and right tackle Evan Link entering the fold. The hype surrounding both has been so huge that it would surprise no one if either wins the starting job.
“We feel really good about multiple guys both at that center position, that right tackle position,” offensive line coach Grant Newsome said. “We feel like we’ve got — really, truthfully — three guys in each of those positions that we could go out and win a lot of games with. So I’m excited to see how it continues to play out. And I know the guys we trot out there on Saturday are gonna do really good job. I have full confidence, and even the guys behind them. So excited to see how the crew plays.”
Giudice was never really expected to be more than a role or depth player. A three-star recruit in the 2021 recruiting class from Freehold (N.J.) Mater Dei, he was an edge rusher and the second-lowest rated player in the class, ahead of only the punter. He first bulked up and moved to the interior defensive line and served as a backup there. But then he made the switch last year to the interior of the offensive line. And Newsome has appreciated how heady of a player he is — which has allowed him to be in the thick of the competition, if not win the job outright.
“He’s done a great job,” Newsome said. “Obviously not having an extensive O-line background — we really recruited him as technically like an edge. So he’s taken to offensive line in general really, really quickly, and then to center as well.
“Obviously, that’s position is very much mental. You’re the quarterback of the O-line and besides the quarterback, you’re the only person on the field who touches the ball every single play. So it’s as critical a position there is in football. So he’s done a really, really good job putting himself in the mix there. And like I said, he’s one of those three guys at center we feel like we go out and win another national championship with.”
Link is a different story. A redshirt freshman from Washington D.C., he was a four-star recruit who was thought to be a Penn State lean before he surprised by committing to Michigan. He was expected to be a factor sooner or later, but as it turns out, it’s sooner than later.
“He’s made big jumps — not just mentally and playbook-wise and play-wise — but physically from being a freshman,” Newsome said of Link. “And sometimes it’s easy to forget how big the jump that those guys can make from their freshman year to sophomore year can be, especially offensive linemen. So physically, he’s in a really, really good spot, and then he’s embraced the challenge of competing against two older guys who are both very good players in their own right.
“We feel like we’re fortunate. It’s a good problem to have.”
Fans will get an opportunity to see whoever starts at those positions on Saturday when Michigan hosts Fresno State for the 2024 season opener at The Big House. Kickoff is slated for 7:34 p.m. EDT and the game will be broadcast nationally on NBC.