Over the past two seasons, the Michigan football offensive line has won the Joe Moore Award (given to the nation’s top O-line) in back-to-back seasons, becoming the first program to ever accomplish this feat. Heading into the 2023 season, Michigan has one of the best and most experienced lines in the country, yet in the newest On3 offensive line rankings, the Wolverines came in at No. 2.
Michigan football offensive line ranked in top-2, falls short of No. 1 ranking
Today, On3 released their annual post-spring offensive line rankings, and Michigan football came in at No. 2. This decade, the Wolverines have established themselves as one of the top offensive line schools in the nation, winning two Joe Moore Awards during their back-to-back Big Ten title-winning seasons in 2021 and 2022. Now, heading into 2023, Michigan football could very well win a third straight Big Ten title, and appears to be an early favorite to claim another Joe Moore Award, though its new-look offensive line will be put to the test.
Ahead of the Michigan football offensive line on On3’s list is the Georgia Bulldogs, who are yet to win a Joe Moore Award this decade yet have claimed two-straight national championships, most recently downing the TCU Horned Frogs in the title game by a gruesome score of 65-7. Right below the Wolverines on the list is the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, followed by LSU and Texas, who rounds out the top-5.
The Michigan football offensive line is also the only Big Ten O-line to make the list; other notable lines in the Big Ten include those of the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Penn State Nittany Lions, who are both reloading and looking to reclaim the Big Ten title for the first time in a few years. Ohio State’s last title came in 2020, while Penn State’s most recent title came in 2016.
Why No. 2?
Here is On3’s explanation for ranking the Michigan football offensive line at No. 2 in their rankings:
“The reigning back-to-back Joe Moore Award winners have a retooled OL unit that should still be among the nation’s best in 2023. The Wolverines bring back two of the better guards in the country in Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter, and they’ve added multiple transfers who look primed to start at center (Drake Nugent from Stanford) and tackle (LaDarius Henderson from Arizona State).
Michigan OC/OL coach Sherrone Moore has depth to work with, too, with fellow Stanford transfer tackle Myles Hinton and third-year interior vets Greg Crippen and Raheem Anderson.”
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