Giovanni El-Hadi is a major piece of the Michigan offensive line, and big things are expected of him once again in 2025. Here is his outlook for the upcoming season:
The Michigan Wolverines’ offensive line was among the best in the country from 2021-23. They won the Joe Moore Award in 2021 and 2022, and they had one of the top units in 2023 when they won the national championship.
After 2023, Michigan lost its entire starting offensive line to the NFL Draft. That opened the door for new guys to earn starting roles, including Giovanni El-Hadi, who is back for his final year of collegiate eligibility.
The story so far
El-Hadi is a Michigan Man through and through, as he came to the program from Adlai Stevenson High School in Sterling Heights. The best players in Michigan go to Michigan, and El-Hadi became a member of the 2021 recruiting class with guys like J.J. McCarthy, Donovan Edwards and Junior Colson.
Like most first-year offensive linemen, he didn’t see the field very often. However, El-Hadi saw a lot more action as a redshirt freshman. He started a few games and got meaningful playing experience on special teams as well. He followed that up by playing in all 15 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2023, again contributing on special teams along with offensive line duties. He played along the offensive line in 11 of those 15 games.
In 2024, El-Hadi finally earned a starting role, slotting in at right guard the entire season. Michigan was inexperienced along the offensive line after losing a lot of talent from the national championship team, but the unit made some strides throughout the season.
Outlook for 2025
El-Hadi started in every game last season, but it was his first season as a consistent starter. Growing pains were expected, and growing pains occured. Now, he is back for his fifth season and is a returning starter. He is not only going to be one of the most important players on the line, but he will be one of the most important players on the team.
After losing the entire offensive line, it was expected the group would take a step back in 2024. The Wolverines weren’t as strong up front as they were during the previous three seasons, but with guys like El-Hadi back with another offseason under their belt, things should be better in 2025.
The offense was anchored by a strong offensive line during the three-year Big Ten title/College Football Playoff run. If the Wolverines are to get back to that level with the same style of play, it will start with El-Hadi and the offensive line.