The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/859588
SEPTEMBER 2017 THE WOLVERINE 39 Mason Cole joined elite company in 2014 when he started on the offensive line as a freshman, and he became the first Michigan rookie lineman to start from day one. There have been rum- blings that at least one freshman is vying to start this fall, too — center/guard Ce- sar Ruiz of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy. There was no magic formula to seeing the field early, Cole admitted. "I don't know if it was one thing that really enabled me," he said. "I was lucky enough to have good teammates to help me along the way, help put me in posi- tion and a good coaching staff. "That's what it will take for these young guys — leadership from the whole team to bring them along." Ruiz has impressed since enrolling early this spring, picking up the playbook quickly and working diligently in the weight room to reshape his body. "Cesar is going to be a really good ball- player, maybe this year, maybe next year," Cole said. "Really good. I can't wait to see him progress. Even from when he got here [in the spring] he's progressed. … I'm not sure if that's related to coming from a great high school or what, but he's a great football player, knows the game inside and out as a young kid — better than I did and most do as a freshman." Here are the other offensive linemen who have started games up front at U-M as true freshmen and what they went on to achieve: Bubba Paris (1978): Paris started two games for a Michigan team that finished 10-2 and No. 5 nationally. He would later go on to be named All-Big Ten and All-America, and was also dubbed a second-team Academic All-American. He played for the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL from 1983 to 1990, win- ning three Super Bowls, and then for the Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions in 1991. Tom Dixon (1980): The center started one game for a team that started slowly but won the Big Ten title and recorded head coach Bo Schembechler's first Rose Bowl win. He started every game from 1981-83, was the first-team All- Big Ten center in 1982 and was selected by the AP, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and Sporting News as a first-team center on the 1983 All-America squad. He played one professional season, with the USFL's Michigan Panthers in 1984. Dean Dingman (1987): Dingman started three games his first year prior to becoming a stalwart at guard and earning All-America honors from both Sporting News and the AFCA. Dingman played on three Big Ten championship teams and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the eighth round of the 1991 NFL Draft, spending one year with the team. Justin Boren (2006): Boren started one game as a frosh at guard, started at center and guard the following year, and then went on to earn All-Big Ten honors at Ohio State after transferring. He was a second-team AP All-American for the Buckeyes and spent three seasons in the NFL as a backup. Kyle Bosch (2013): Bosch started three games as a fresh- man, his first coming against Michigan State, but off-field issues sidelined him for all but one game in 2014 while he redshirted. He transferred to West Virginia and has become a stalwart at guard, earning All-Big 12 honors last year from the AP. He'll be a fifth-year senior this fall. Grant Newsome (2015): Newsome worked his way onto the field in Jim Harbaugh's return to Ann Arbor, seeing snaps from scrimmage in five games with one start, which came as a sixth blocker. He emerged to take over blindside protection duties from Cole in 2016, opening the first five games at left tackle and earning U-M's Offensive Lineman of the Game honors twice. However, he suffered a gruesome knee injury Oct. 1 against Wisconsin and will redshirt this fall as he tries to make his return to the field. Ben Bredeson (2016): The Hartland, Wis., native played in all 13 games last fall, making eight starts at left guard. He saw action from scrimmage in the first three games, then moved into the starting lineup against Rutgers Oct. 8. He stayed in that spot the rest of the year, eventually earning All-Big Ten honorable mention from the coaches and media, while the Football Writes Association of America named him a Fresh- man All-American. The 6-5, 310-pounder will be a big part of the blocking unit the rest of his time on campus. — Chris Balas U-M Freshman Starters On The O-Line, Once Rare, Are Becoming More Common Ben Bredeson became the eighth Michigan offensive lineman to start a game as a true freshman and the fourth in the last four years, following Kyle Bosch, Mason Cole and Grant Newsome. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN