Michigan Football: Position battle at right tackle could get interesting

Michigan football has a slew of position battles on both sides of the ball, but one of the most-watched battles offensively is at right tackle.

Juwann Bushell-Beatty had a solid career for Michigan football. It wasn’t spectacular but last season, he found his groove, yet injuries struck and caused him to miss the final few games.

Without Bushell-Beatty in the lineup, Michigan turned to Andrew Stueber. He started down the stretch and while he didn’t play poorly, the line as a whole took a step back against both Ohio State and Florida in a pair of ugly losses.

Now, with Bushell-Beatty out the door due to graduation, it’s time to turn the page. Stueber has been getting most of the first-team reps at right tackle in an effort to win the starting job to open the season, however, he hasn’t locked up anything yet.

That’s because of redshirt freshman Jalen Mayfield, a four-star recruit in 2018. After a year of development and growth, Mayfield is ready to challenge for a starting role and head coach Jim Harbaugh acknowledged that things were close between the two at Big Ten Media Days.

Then, Ben Bredeson, a returning starter along the offensive line, who was also at Big Ten Media Days, offered his thoughts via the Michigan Daily:

"It’s very close and that’s just not me trying to hide anything. It’s genuinely something that’s going to get solved in camp between (Mayfield) and Stueber. Once that happens then we’ll know from there. But not even anybody in the building knows right now.”"

The two players both took first-team snaps during the spring and that should continue into the fall until a starter is determined. However, with both players, there are some interesting possibilities.

Both have played inside before, specifically Stueber, who is seasoned enough to play all four positions except for center. That could make him ideal for the spot of sixth offensive lineman, one who would back up more than one spot.

If things are truly that close between Stueber and Mayfield, then the 6-foot-5 redshirt freshman should get the call. He has better upside, is a better athlete and could starter for the next few seasons if he continues his upward trajectory.

At the same time, Stueber could add solid depth. He could be a swing tackle and someone that also plays inside in a pinch. Mayfield, if he didn’t start, likely wouldn’t be as versatile. As Sam Webb of The Michigan Insider ($) notes, if the battle is truly that close, there is a strong chance both will play.

Webb also wrote that once Mayfield got comfortable within the offense last spring, he seemed to emerge as the top guy. If he can continue that momentum and show his improvement again in the fall, it sounds like Webb believes he will win the job.

Of course, you are never only going to play five guys through a season, so even if Stueber or Mayfield don’t start, they should still see snaps and not just in garbage time.

Between the two, Mayfield seems to be better in pass protection and more suited to handle skilled pass rushers off the edge. He will need more seasoning and there are likely to be growing pains, but if he continues to show he’s equal to Stueber, Michigan needs to give him the nod.