The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAY 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 31 ❱ MICHIGAN FOOTBALL try, led by junior tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, junior edge Derrick Moore and senior edge Josaiah Stewart. Esposito, a Memphis alum, comes to Ann Arbor after coaching the last seven seasons at Western Michigan as its defensive coordinator. His other stops along the way included Davenport University, WMU (first stint) and Ferris State. OFFENSIVE LINE TAKING SHAPE Michigan offensive line coach Grant Newsome has been groomed to take over the Wolverines' front, and he's now tasked with replacing five starters from Sherrone Moore's elite line from a year ago … but it's not as though he's starting from scratch. Several of the replace- ments have played a lot of football, in- cluding a few who have started multiple games in their careers. By all accounts, this group has im- proved plenty from the start of spring ball. Myles Hinton, the projected starter at left tackle, started 16 games at Stan- ford and five last year at U-M, while Northwestern transfer Josh Priebe was a third-team All-Big Ten selection at guard and has 29 career starts to his credit. "Any time you have a guy who looks like that and moves like that and then has the ability [Hinton] does … we say God isn't making too many people look like that who have that ability," New- some said. "For him, it's kind of putting it all together, and you guys saw flashes of it last year. Part of that is obviously being able to stay healthy. "I think he's got all the ability in the world — a guy who potential-wise has all the ability to be the next great first-round tackle from the University of Michigan. Now it's on myself, us as coaches and on him, to make that happen." Priebe, meanwhile, might be the most proven lineman the Wolverines have. Our analyst and former Michigan All- Big Ten lineman Doug Skene compared him to recent departure Zak Zinter, one of U-M's best guards in recent memory. He has been playing guard, for the most part, but also seeing some action at center. "Any time you get a guy who has starting experience in a position, there's a possibility of keeping him there," Newsome said. "But we want to make sure we cross-train with different areas and make sure that regardless of what the starting offensive line looks like, he's in a position where he could poten- tially help us in multiple spots. There's always a balance of letting guys compete at one spot, but you're also trying to find the best five and move guys around so if stuff does happen throughout the season, you have the ability to play guys at multiple spots. "It's always a balance. You're trying to let those guys compete at one spot and feel like they have a home. That's something sometimes people don't un- derstand about playing offensive line unless you've done it. It's not as easy as just changing what foot is up in your stance or away from tackle to guard. And obviously, the center is a different animal in itself." So, they're trying to get the best five and then some prepared for anything. As of now, however, senior Greg Crip- pen seems set to come out of spring as the starting center. The fact that he's still here is impressive in itself, New- some said. "He has done a great job of learn- ing and maturing, and he's one of those guys who's really a technician of the craft," Newsome said. "He was in here sometimes as much as us coaches watching film, studying, trying to be mentally as sharp as he possibly can be, which is obviously huge at that center position. "I also think it's awesome that he … was patient and took his time in today's day and age. It's not common, espe- cially if you're bringing back transfers at a position, for a guy as talented as he is to stick around. We're very, very happy he did that, excited to see what he does with this opportunity to go out and try to win that starting center job." As for the other spots — pencil in senior Giovanni El-Hadi at left guard. He's played a lot of football and has de- veloped into a leader, Newsome praised. "He's started games here, both left guard and right guard, so he'll be in the mix to compete at those spots," New- some said. "I've been excited to see how he handles business this spring … kind of taking that next step in terms of not nec- essarily maturity, but a leadership role." At right tackle, veterans Andrew Gen- try and Jeff Persi have both been playing well and "competing back and forth," Newsome added. Gentry is a former Top 100 player who has been waiting his turn. "He's done really, really well this spring, and he's been a kind of a Swiss Army knife for us in years past where he's backed up multiple spots," New- some said. "It's been awesome to see him be able to compete." Graduate student offensive lineman Myles Hinton (78), shown blocking junior edge Derrick Moore, is the leading candidate at left tackle. He started five games for Michigan a year ago and 16 while previously at Stanford. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY