8A — Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Position review: Offensive line

The Michigan football team’s 
most 
important 
addition 
for 
2018 likely wasn’t a new recruit 
or even junior quarterback Shea 
Patterson. Instead, it was new 
offensive line coach Ed Warinner, 
hired to fix what was a major area 
of weakness in the Wolverines’ 
8-5 season in 2017.
While the beginning of the 
2018 season made the much-
maligned offensive line seem 
like more of the same, the unit 
improved throughout the year 
under Warinner’s tutelage. And 
though the season ended with 
a thud in losses to Ohio State 
and Florida, the offensive line’s 
growth under Warinner bodes 
well for the future.
Junior guard Ben Bredeson 
became a leader on the line. 
Elected 
a 
captain 
by 
his 
teammates, Bredeson ended up 
an All-Big Ten Second Team 
selection. Bredeson flirted with 
entering the NFL Draft but 
ultimately told reporters at a pre-
bowl press conference that he 
planned to return for his senior 
year.
Redshirt 
junior 
offensive 
tackle Jon Runyan — who made 
his first career start at left tackle 
in the season opener — was 
named to the coaches’ All-Big 
Ten First Team and joined his 
father in winning the team’s 
award for best offensive lineman 
after steadily improving through 
the course of the season. Junior 
guard Michael Onwenu was 
an All-Big Ten Third Team 
selection.
Though 
Michigan 
loses 
Bushell-Beatty 
to 
graduation, 
Runyan, Bredeson and sophomore 
center Cesar Ruiz — an All-Big 
Ten Third Team honoree — will 
be back to anchor the unit in 
2019. Warinner returns as well, 
hoping to bring consistency back 
to a program once known for its 
bruising offensive linemen.

HIGH POINT: Karan Higdon 
sat at the podium and made a bold 
declaration.
“No question, we have the best 
offensive line in the country.”
Three times in eight minutes, 
the senior running back gave a 
variation of that quote.
To be clear, the Wolverines 
didn’t and don’t have the best 
offensive line in the country. But 
the fact that Higdon — Michigan’s 
top running back — felt like he 
could make that proclamation, 
after all the criticism the line 
received, spoke volumes.
The Wolverines were fresh off 
a win over then-No. 15 Wisconsin 
on Oct. 15. Higdon ran for 105 
yards, partly thanks to the push 

generated by the offensive line. 
The unit had shown improvement 
in earlier games, but those were 
against far inferior opponents. 
This game was a sign that the 
improvement 
was the real deal.
For 
an 
offensive 
line 
that just a month 
before 
had 
to 
defend 
itself 
against all kinds 
of social media 
backlash after a 
season-opening 
loss 
to 
Notre 
Dame, Higdon’s 
declaration was a vindication.
LOW 
POINT: 
Michigan’s 

offensive 
linemen 
promised 
before the season kicked off that 
the unit would be a strength. 
Because the unit had notably 
lacked production the year before 
and 
needed 
replacements 
at 
both 
tackle 
spots, many were 
incredulous.
After 
the 
first 
game 
of 
the season — a 
24-17 loss to the 
Fighting Irish — 
the 
incredulity 
reached a fever 
pitch.
The running game struggled, 
gaining just 58 yards. Patterson 

was sacked three times — one of 
those a strip sack that resulted in 
a lost fumble. Even when he got 
the ball off, Patterson constantly 
had defenders in his face, and 
his highly anticipated Wolverine 
debut ended with a thud.
After the game, the offensive 
line got the lion’s share of the 
blame. Fans blasted it on Twitter, 
laughing at the idea that this 
unit could ever be considered a 
strength. After a season when 
two quarterbacks got hurt behind 
a lacking line, it seemed like 
this would be more of the same. 
Linemen defended themselves, 
maintaining that fans didn’t 
understand the full story. But 
skepticism 
persisted 
until 

Michigan finally demonstrated 
improvement on the field against 
a quality opponent.
THE FUTURE: When fifth-
year 
senior 
offensive 
tackle 
Juwann 
Bushell-Beatty 
got 
injured near the end of the 
season, he sat out both the Ohio 
State game and the Peach Bowl. 
The unit sagged a bit in his 
absence, leaving some question 
marks in the future. However, 
Runyan will return for his final 
season, providing stability and 
leadership at left tackle.
Sophomore offensive tackle 
Andrew Stuber earned the start 
at right tackle against the Gators, 
indicating that he could be the 
next man up. Freshman offensive 
tackle Jalen Mayfield, who saw 
limited snaps in 2018, is another 
who will fight for the open 
tackle job. With an extra year of 
development under their belts, 
the two former four-star recruits 
have 
plenty 
to 
potentially 
contribute.
Ruiz, Bredeson and Onwenu 
return 
for 
another 
year 
to 
anchor the interior offensive 
line. Their experience should 
help onboard younger and less 
experienced starters, and if Ruiz 
and Bredeson can continue the 
momentum from their breakout 
seasons, it could be a boon for the 
Wolverines.
Michigan also landed three 
four-star offensive line recruits 
in tackles Trente Jones and 
Trevor Keegan and guard Nolan 
Rumler. None are likely to start 
right away, but they give the line 
more depth and high potential for 
years to come.
Warinner, too, will coach the 
offensive line again in 2019. His 
results in 2018 — taking a unit 
that was a liability the year before 
and producing four All-Big Ten 
linemen — were promising for 
the future.
This time, with the Wolverines 
going into the season saying their 
offensive line is a strength, it’s a 
lot easier to believe them.

After starting the year as a supposed weakness, Michigan’s offensive line grew into a strength. What’s next in 2019?

ARIA GERSON
Daily Sports Writer

CARTER FOX/Daily
Junior guard Ben Bredeson is returning to Michigan for his senior season after a year which saw his unit steadily improve from a team weakness to a strength.

Culture key to season turnaround

This 
past 
weekend, 
the 
Michigan softball team was 
scheduled to play a three-
game series spread out over the 
course of three days at Rutgers. 
Instead, 
the 
coaches 
from both teams decided to 
schedule a doubleheader for 
Saturday, providing Michigan 
the opportunity to fly home 
Saturday night and have an 
extra day in Ann Arbor to relax 
and catch up on homework. But 
instead of adjusting their travel 
plans, the Wolverines stuck 
with their original itinerary and 
spent Sunday on an impromptu 
trip to New York City.
Generally, events like these 
are meant for players and 
coaches alike to bond in hopes 
of building team morale and 
chemistry. And it was evident at 
the beginning of the season that 
Michigan was one of the most 
talented teams in the country 
that also placed a premium on 
team culture.
“I think our team especially 
has fantastic chemistry this 
year,” 
said 
senior 
second 
baseman 
Faith 
Canfield 
on 
Feb. 5. “There’s 
definitely a great 
dynamic among 
our 
players, 
our 
staff, 
our 
coaches, 
and 
our locker room 
and everything. 
Everyone 
works hard and 
everyone’s really 
excited 
to 
be 
here every day.
“I think this program has 
always had, traditionally, a 
strong culture. Our main word 
this year was ‘respect.’ Respect 
Team 
42. 
Whether 
that’s 
respect individually and how 
we treat people or just saying 
things that need to be said 
because we’re respecting the 
goals that we’re going after.”
After an uncharacteristic 9-9 
start that included Michigan 
dropping out of the top-25 
rankings for the first time in 

several years, however, the 
Wolverines’ 
tried-and-true 
morale was tested. Veterans 
struggled 
during 
crucial 
moments and lineup changes 
happened on a 
game-by-game 
basis, especially 
in the infield 
– resulting in 
sloppy play and 
fielding errors.
“(The infield) 
is as good as 
just 
about 
anyone,” 
said 
sophomore first 
baseman Taylor 
Bump after the Big Ten/ACC 
Challenge on Feb. 19. “They 
don’t make it easy for me over 
there, but I know what to expect 
from them and whenever they 
mess up, I’m owning that it’s 
my job to try and help them 
out. So, I think our entire 
infield is working on the trust 
relationship.
“I think that’s something 
we’ll get toward by the end of 
the season.”
However, it seems like the 

team has already gotten there, 
and it’s only halfway through 
the season. The veterans are 
finally stepping up to the box 
and swinging with confidence, 
providing stability to a once-
volatile batting order.
But what’s been more evident 
is that the team’s culture and 
chemistry has given Michigan 
something to fall back on 
throughout this unusual season. 
This 
culture 
has 
given 
freshman outfielder Lexie Blair 
the confidence to take the No. 3 
spot in the batting order and hit 
at a .407 clip – which leads the 
team. This culture has allowed 
freshman 
right-hander 
Alex 
Storako to look up to and learn 
from an All-American pitcher 
in sophomore Meghan Beaubien 
without feeling any pressure. 
This culture has given direction 
to a team that seemed like it was 
it in reverse.
So 
the 
next 
time 
the 
Wolverines spend a day or two 
during their road trips to travel, 
know that this isn’t anything 
new. They’re just following the 
Michigan way. 

Nelson’s fight for a starting spot

This season, senior infielder 
Blake Nelson has the second-
best batting average, the third 
most doubles and is tied for the 
fewest walks from batters with 
more than 50 at-bats on the 
Michigan baseball team.
Though 
Nelson 
was 
the 
opening-day starter at third 
base after playing at that 
position most of last year, he 
had a flaw — his defense.
In just the second game of 
the season, Nelson made a 
mistake. And then another, 
and another, and another; he 
had four errors that day — two 
throwing, two fielding. He was 
a liability.
That liability was quickly 
taken care of. Nelson didn’t 
play the next game, and was 
the designated hitter for the 
next series, a placeholder while 
junior 
outfielder 
Dominic 
Clementi 
was 
recovering 
from an abdominal sprain he 
suffered early in the season. 
When 
Clementi 
returned, 
Nelson had one pinch-hitting 
opportunity in seven games 
and he struck out.
Nelson was relegated to 

covering 
shifts. 
He 
didn’t 
play in big games and only 
got the opportunity to prove 
himself when senior infielder 
Ako Thomas’ nagging injury 
deemed 
that 
the 
second 
baseman would need a weekend 
to rest.
In his first game in two 
weeks against Manhattan, he 
went 3-for-4 with two RBIs 
and two doubles.
“He had a great night,” said 
Michigan coach Erik Bakich 
after the game against the 
Jaspers. “It’s even more special 
because he hasn’t played in a 
while and it would be very easy 
for him to come out and use the 
lack of playing time as a reason 
for not being in a rhythm to 
do well, but he’s been a great 
teammate even when he’s not 
in there. It’s great for a guy to 
have success because of the 
type of teammate that he is.”
Added Nelson: “It starts 
with 
our 
team. 
We’re 
all 
bought in for win. Whether 
that’s warming up with the 
outfielders, doing the chart or 
playing in the game. It doesn’t 
really matter, we all know our 
roles and we’re all ready to 
come in when our number is 
called.”

It wasn’t a fluke. Over the 
next three games, Nelson hit at 
a .583 clip with five RBIs.
“We saw that this weekend, 
he’s going to be a hard guy 
to keep out of the lineup,” 
Bakich said. “I really like what 
Blake brings from an energy 
standpoint, and offensively he 
just brings a knack for quality 
at-bats 
and 
making 
hard 
contacts. He delivered some 
clutch hits.”
Unless Nelson experiences 
another drastic collapse of 
defensive 
competence, 
a 
replacement won’t be needed 
for a while. His two competitors 
— Thomas and Clementi — 
have two of the worst batting 
and slugging percentages on 
the team and are both plagued 
by injuries, the same reason 
Nelson got his chance in the 
first place.
Meanwhile, 
Nelson 
has 
been firing on all cylinders. 
His defense has been nearly 
impeccable — just two more 
errors — and his offense has 
been invaluable, hitting .377 
with 14 RBIs since the game 
against Manhattan. Even if 
there were people to take his 
spot they would be hard pressed 
to replicate his performances.

KENT SCHWARTZ
Daily Sports Writer

AKUL VIJAYVARGIYA
Daily Sports Writer

EVAN AARON/Daily
Senior infielder Blake Nelson earned his starting third base job back after hitting .377 with 14 RBIs since Mar. 15.

No question, we 
have the best 
offensive line in 
the country.

ALEC COHEN/Daily
Senior second baseman Faith Canfield currently has a .383 batting average 
and a .970 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.

This program 
has always 
had... a strong 
culture.

