Michigan football fall camp notes: Wolverines are dominant in two key areas

Yesterday, a number of Wolverine standouts met with the media to discuss all of the latest buzz coming out of Michigan football fall camp. As the season draws near (only 14 days from today), it is becoming clear that the Maize and Blue are especially dominant in two key areas — along the offensive line and defensive line. Here is some of what Karsen Barnhart (graduate student, offensive tackle) and Derrick Moore (sophomore, edge rusher) had to say about the O-line and D-line play heading into the season opener against East Carolina.

Offensive line looking talented and deep during Michigan football fall camp

The 2021 and 2022 offensive lines were impressive, to say the least; yet, somehow, it looks like the 2023 Michigan football offensive line could top either performance. The Wolverines are in the hunt for a third straight Joe Moore Award and more this year, and with the insane amount of talent and depth across the board right now, the Maize and Blue are being pinned as preseason favorites to dominate the line of scrimmage for a third season in a row, keeping the massive Joe Moore Award in Ann Arbor for another year.

“It’s great that the room has 10-plus starters,” Karsen Barnhart said. “We have so much depth. You’ve seen it in years past where the first five that walk out there aren’t the first five that walk out there in games 12 and 13. It just brings so much depth and so much competition, and the ceiling that we have just keeps growing every day.”

What about new transfer center Drake Nugent? He has some big shoes to fill, but according to all reports from fall camp thus far, it sounds like the long-time PAC-12 standout is fitting in with the Wolverines’ elite offensive line just fine so far.

“Drake is a great addition to the unit. I love having him in the room,” Barnhart said. “He’s a guy that works his tail off every day. You can see it every day. He’s a quick dude. He’s quick, strong, powerful, and he’s just a great addition to the team unit. I love having him as a part of this program.”

The defensive line is “dominant,” says sophomore edge rusher

Most fans knew that the Michigan football offensive line was bound to be one of the nation’s elite this year; however, with a lot of turnover on the defensive line, there were still some questions remaining heading into the new season. Yesterday, edge rusher Derrick Moore put some of these concerns to rest, stating that the Wolverines’ defensive line is looking “dominant” from the interior to the pass rush.

“The interior guys like KG (Kenneth Grant), Mason (Graham), and Kris Jenkins — if they get one-on-ones and we get one-on-ones, then I feel bad for the quarterback,” Moore said. “This year really has a dominant defensive line, so if they can get a one-on-one, we get a one-on-one, then that’s a quarterback nightmare right there.”

As Michigan football fall camp starts to hit its later stages, all signs point to the Wolverines having an elite offensive line and defensive line for the third year in a row. So far, winning the battles up front has led the Maize and Blue to consecutive Big Ten Championships and more, and hearing that this year’s lines are looking scary good should have the entire conference on notice.

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