Michigan brought in some important transfers this season, and former Cal Poly OL Brady Norton is one of them, whether it’s for this year for future seasons. Here is his path to Ann Arbor and his outlook for the 2025 season:
The Michigan Wolverines saw their offensive line take a step back last season, and that was expected after the entire starting line left after winning the national championship in 2023. Michigan was very inexperienced at the position, but that won’t be the case in 2025. Some key starters are back, and the Wolverines also added some good talent from the transfer portal. One of those additions is Brady Norton.
Norton spent his first two seasons of college football in the FCS at Cal Poly. The 6-foot-3, 275-pounder was a force for the Mustangs, and now he hopes to replicate his success in Ann Arbor.
The story so far
Norton did not get a lot of attention out of high school, as he was a three-star recruit and ranked as the 329th best player in the state of California. He was a member of the 2023 class and went to Cal Poly after graduating from Mission Viejo High School.
His first year was a relatively quiet one, as is the case for a lot of freshmen. Still, he picked up some valuable experience, appearing in four games at left and right tackle.
Norton really burst onto the scene during the 2024 season. He started every single game for the Mustangs at left tackle and allowed zero sacks on 444 reps. His elite level of play started to get noticed by some big programs, and he ended up entering the transfer portal and going to Michigan.
Outlook for 2025
Michigan is returning a lot of talent from last year’s offensive line, so Norton will more than likely be a depth piece during the 2025 season. That doesn’t mean he won’t have an important role, however.
Depth along the offensive line is crucial, and the Wolverines should be in good shape in that department. Evan Link, Giovanni El-Hadi and Greg Crippen are all back and will likely have starting roles, and there are a lot of talented youngsters vying for playing time as well. Norton is one of them, and even if he doesn’t earn a starting job, he may still be needed at some point throughout the season. Given his versatility, he should be along the first players off the bench and should be able to plug in at most places on the offensive line.
Getting the offensive line back to form will be crucial this season. The Wolverines were bound to take a step back last year, and they did. However, strides were made throughout the season, and important additions like Norton should help the line continue to improve moving forward.