The 2024 Michigan offense was a tough watch for anyone hoping for dominance. After years of controlling games with a physical, efficient attack, the Wolverines struggled to find rhythm. Into this difficult backdrop steps Bryce Underwood, a freshman quarterback shouldered with the responsibility of turning things around. But even a five-star recruit can’t do it alone, especially when the team around him is still figuring itself out. Behind the scenes, the Michigan roster grapples with a pressing dilemma.

Currently swollen with 112 players, the coaching staff faces the unenviable task of reducing the roster by nearly 20 athletes to meet the NCAA’s strict 93-player fall limit. But this is no mere administrative hurdle. Each cut chips away at competition and depth, putting the overall build of the team in flux. Some players, like Brooks Bahr, are switching sides of the ball entirely, while others, like Max Bredeson, who is now listed as a tight end/fullback hybrid—are carving out roles in new positions. Even in the quarterback room, where Jack Keene, Warren, and Jadyn Davis round out the depth chart, the shifting pieces mean Underwood isn’t just learning the system, he’s doing it amid real-time personnel churn.

All of that makes protection a premium. Whether it’s the running game or the passing setup, nothing works unless the offensive line settles in, and that didn’t happen last season. The unit that once won back-to-back Joe Moore Awards looked unfamiliar, unsettled, and inconsistent. So when Sam Webb from CBS Sports talks about Michigan’s offensive line, it’s not just talk, it’s a spotlight on the biggest question mark facing Underwood and a deeper exploration of the team’s current issues. 

Webb had some rather profound observations on the Wolverines’ offense. “Does Michigan have the kind of offensive line that can be a stalwart? That can protect the freshman quarterback in a way that can pave the way for a running game. That can protect him for a passing game; that can, you know, propel a team to a championship level,” asks Sam on his channel on 7th June. Michigan’s offensive line is currently in a transition and uncertainty phase, particularly regarding the all-crucial left tackle position.

The Wolverines lost key members of last year’s line, and that line was already a relatively weak link to the previous Michigan units that controlled the trenches. As spring reports and insider talk indicate, Sherrone Moore is optimistic about some positions that include center, right tackle and left guard, but blindside tackle remains an issue. Similar to what Sam says, “You got to be able to keep him safe to keep him secure to make him comfortable in a way that most freshmen aren’t going to be, and Michigan didn’t have that kind of offensive line last year, so you got a lot of question marks, big-time question marks at left tackle.”

Last season, Michigan’s offensive line was a shadow of the strong units that propelled the team to consecutive Joe Moore Awards. Inexperience, injuries, and a lack of continuity turned a potential strength into a weakness. The line was unable to open holes in the run game and didn’t consistently keep the quarterback protected. The left tackle position was especially a revolving door, with players crossing sides and having to learn at the moment. Evan Link, a young lineman, was thrust into the right tackle position for much of the year, and it was evident.

In the ReliaQuest Bowl against Alabama, Link tasted what it’s like to play left tackle at the college level, and although he did a fine job, he also had some rough moments, particularly against Alabama’s baffling defensive schemes. The rest of the line is taking shape, with Greg Crippen at center, Giovanni El-Hadi at left guard, Nathan Efobi at right guard, and Andrew Sprague at right tackle. There is talent and depth, but until the group shows they can rule the trenches, there are question marks.

Now, entering 2025, the hope is that Link, back at his natural left tackle position, can give the kind of protection that a freshman quarterback requires. “There are a lot of questions on the offensive line that need to be answered,” Tom Fornelli says. “I kind of think there are questions all over this roster on the offensive side of the ball. We know they got Donaven McCulley
from Indiana. Who, I think, is a very solid player. [He] will probably be the alpha receiver on that team. But they also got Justice Haynes in the transfer portal at running back. You mentioned all the turnovers on that offensive line and the questions about who will be starting,” he continues.

It’s a puzzle with a great many missing pieces and some shiny new ones added in. The Wolverines lost some key offensive weapons to the NFL and graduation. The receiving corps is in limbo, but adding Donaven McCulley from Indiana is a huge deal. The 6’5″ Indiana standout, a big, physical receiver, made 48 catches at Indiana in 2023 and is now set to be the top downfield threat for Michigan. But McCulley, though an experienced playmaker, can’t carry the entire passing game by himself. And there’s the backfield. Michigan acquired Justice Haynes, a transfer running back who has a lot of potential. Haynes possesses explosive speed and vision, but he’ll be running behind an offensive line that’s still searching for its identity after last season’s woes and personnel moves.

Bryce Underwood’s moment to shine

Bryce Underwood. Following a tumultuous 8-5 year and the quarterback merry-go-round that left everyone yearning for the J.J. McCarthy days, Michigan is in dire need of some spark. Enter Underwood. “On offense, I mean, I think it’s going to be Bryce Underwood. I know that’s kind of a cop-out, but I mean it,” analyst Isaiah Hole explained in a Q&A session. Underwood is the five-star phenom who’s already making waves before he’s even taken the field in the Big House. But the hype train isn’t just chugging along, it’s mounting a mountain of pressure on the freshman’s shoulders.

Michigan lost a lot of NFL talent over the offseason, including three first-rounders and their franchise QB. The passing game last year was, plain and simple, awful—dead last among Power 4 schools, with more interceptions than touchdowns. The offense stalled, the fans complained, and Sherrone Moore realized that they needed a game-changer. Hole didn’t merely toss a compliment Underwood’s way; he bet big on Underwood after observing his dogged grind during a difficult 15-practice stretch. Underwood’s reportedly been working overtime with his receivers, developing chemistry, and absorbing the playbook. During the spring game, he showed his promise, passing for 187 yards and completing an 88-yard trick-play bomb that was the source of much excitement among fans.

All that buzz has expectations soaring. Michigan expects Underwood to play, save the offense, and lead them back to glory as a true freshman. The word from analysts and coaches is unanimous: he’s got the talent, the arm, and the poise. But that also means pressure to perform immediately, particularly after last year’s struggles. Sherrone Moore may take some comfort in seeing Underwood’s success, but don’t be fooled—the limelight is fiercer than ever.