Michigan Football Tidbits: Position Group — Offensive Line — Part 2 of 2
3) Molk:
Here is the deal with Molk: his one huge advantage over everyone else is that he snaps the ball — and snaps it consistently. Now some of you may say “anyone can snap the ball”, but last spring CoachBt, ErocWolverine, and MaizeMan all predicted Molk would play offensive center because everybody CAN’T snap the ball! By the end of the year, Molk was probably our second best offensive linemen.
So is Molk a starter in 2009? Not necessarily, but he sure has the inside track. I think he gets a challenge from either Barnum or Khoury. The downside of Molk is he has limited raw talent. He is a very intense player who plays up to, or even over, his talent level. You can never have enough of those kids, but there is always the chance that someone with more talent comes in and beats him out. As of now, we’ll stick with Molk as starting offensive center.
4) The right guard position:
Candidates are Ferrara and Mooseman, or Barnum could play right guard and Ferrara left guard. Let’s discuss the Ferrara-back-to-defensive-tackle rumors. Could it happen? I guess if it is decided that the depth at defensive tackle is so bad there’s no choice. Keep in mind Ferrara may be one of Frey’s favorite players. They love this kid’s intensity and they think his more than potential than any existing offensive guard, except for Barnum, of course.
Last spring, Mooseman was our best offensive linemen. He started out well, but he really tapered off at the end of the season. Now there will be tough competition for the right guard position. Of course, Mooseman could also play offensive center’ he took snaps all last spring, but struggled at times snapping the ball. Mooseman also has limited potential, but is a very smart player who, although does not dominate at his position, does not make a ton of mistakes either.
Therefore, we think the competition for right guard will be the most intense, assuming all the offensive linemen stay healthy. Our prediction is that the right guard will be Ferrara, or Barnum at right guard and Ferrara at left guard.
5) That leaves right tackle:
An easy decision here with Schilling. Why not move Schilling inside? Because, right now, there is not anyone really close to Schilling at right tackle. So this is probably the safest bet. There are rumors of trying Omamahe there in the spring, but not sure he will be ready yet. If he is then that will help boost the offensive line.
As of now, other offensive linemen:
Washington:
Coach Frey is high on Washington. In fact, they had him rated as the #1 guard in the country. While he may not play in 2009, look for Washington to be a four-year starter at Michigan.
O’Neill:
He’s getting into shape. It will be interesting to see how he does in spring practice. Some say he struggled in 2008 (to some extent true). We think it was simply a matter of him just learning to compete and get tougher. His future hinges on his ability to compete and has nothing to do with his strength or physical ability. As of now, he is slated to compete as an offensive guard, but that could change.
Khoury:
This kid continues to get bigger and is going to be one to watch. A tough kid who seems to thrive on competition and has the versatility to play almost anywhere. Right now, it looks like he’ll be the back-up offensive center, but not out of the picture as starter.
Lewan:
Everyone agrees he needs at least one redshirt year, but is he the next right tackle? He was considered one of the recruits with most potential. Remember, he has only played offensive line for one year.
Dorrenstein and Huyge:
Both need either a huge spring showing or maybe injuries will give them more snaps. Dorrenstein, I think, starts out as back-up right tackle in spring. Huyge will battle for second-team offensive guard.
Have not really seen that much of any of the other offensive line, but will provide updates in spring.
>>> (Tomorrow we will be talking about Position Group — Wide Receivers.)
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Written by MaizeMan, CoachBt and ErocWolverine