The #Michigan Wolverines have prioritized offensive linemen on the recruiting trail for years, and that continued yesterday with the addition of Ty Haywood. This will do wonders as the Bryce Underwood era approaches:
When you buy the nicest house in the neighborhood, it would be smart to do everything in your power to protect the house so you get the most out of your investment. Buying a fence, getting home security and acquiring a guard dog should be among the top priorities.
With that in mind, consider Michigan Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore and his recruiting staff ADT, and that group prioritizing offensive line play gives Michigan peace of mind knowing their biggest investment — five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood — will be well protected for years to come.
As is the case when it comes to burglaries, one second is all it takes for everything to change when a quarterback drops back. Pressure in the face of any quarterback, especially an inexperienced one, can create a sack, force a turnover and change the game.
Sherrone Moore, a former offensive lineman and Michigan’s offensive line coach when it won back-to-back Joe Moore awards, knows the value of those precious seconds. Hiring Moore as head coach showed Michigan wanted to continue prioritizing offensive line play, not just to protect the quarterback, but also to power Michigan’s run game.
Moore has always prioritized offensive linemen on the recruiting trail, and he’s doing everything in his power to protect Michigan’s investment in Underwood. The Wolverines are also bringing in some of the best in the nation to protect him, headlined by five-star Andrew Babalola and four-star Ty Haywood . Flanking Underwood with talented linemen can give fans peace of mind when it comes to protecting the most highly-touted recruit in program history.
But it doesn’t end with the two highest ranked recruits. The Wolverines also landed four-star Avery Gach and three-star Novi native Kaden Strayhorn. Gach should be able to compete for a spot on the interior in a few short years, while Strayhorn has the NFL bloodlines and ability to greatly outperform his ranking .
While no commits have been landed in the 2026 class yet, Michigan is in on a number of highly regarded players, including five-star Jackson Cantwell, four-star Leo Delaney, four-star Felix Ojo , four-star Malakai Lee and four-star Gregory Patrick , just to name a handful. Another top target, four-star Carter Scruggs , recently put Michigan in his top-12 and brought up how the program is known for developing NFL linemen each year.
“Michigan is known for putting O-linemen in the NFL,” Scruggs told On3’s Steve Wiltfong ($) . “Amazing academics. It’s one of the best public schools for education. Relationship with the coaches, they got a lot going for them.”
Michigan developing offensive linemen into NFL prospects — including Zak Zinter, Andrew Stueber, LaDarius Henderson, Karsen Barnhart, Ryan Hayes, Drake Nugent, Olu Oluwatimi and Trevor Keegan in recent years — is a huge selling point for recruits.
That NFL acumen makes Michigan an enticing destination, and when you factor in Moore’s roots and the chance to play with a player as good as Underwood, Michigan has become the premiere destination for young people-movers.
Recruits and their families notice when you prioritize them, and since Moore has been in Ann Arbor since 2018, Michigan has made offensive linemen a top priority every cycle. That prioritization is a big reason why Michigan has run the ball so well in recent years, and it is the biggest reason why Michigan won a national championship.
Making guys that play an oftentimes overlooked position feel like a priority has been incredibly important for the Wolverines. With a solid foundation already built — and reinforcements on the way each and every offseason — Michigan can continue to reap the benefits of its biggest strength, using dominant offensive line play to protect Underwood, create chunk plays in the run game, and embrace Moore’s “SMASH” mentality.