Michigan Football: Breaking down the injury situation vs Penn State

Some key players will be out Saturday for Michigan football against Penn State and we break down all the latest reports and what it means for U-M.

Injuries are part of life and they are something that every team deals with. But this week, Michigan football hasn’t exactly gotten any positive news on the injury front.

For the second straight week, there was hope that offensive tackles Jalen Mayfield and Ryan Hayes would be able to go. They have practiced this week but Sam Webb of the Michigan Insider (subscription required) confirmed that Mayfield will not go Saturday.

Webb said he was unsure about Hayes, Zak Zinter and Kwity Paye, but that Cameron McGrone and Andrew Vastardis would also be out.

This come on the heels of a report by Wolverine Digest Friday that Giles Jackson was going to miss the game against Penn State, meaning all three phases will be impacted.

Jackson was the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after returning a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown against Rutgers. His loss will be felt there and at receiver but there is some hope that A.J. Henning, the true freshman and high-ranking four-star recruit, can fill the void.

Henning has looked good when he’s been given opportunities but they haven’t come often and I’m actually excited to see what he can do. Mike Sainristil, Ronnie Bell and Cornelius Johnson will also be heavily involved, especially Johnson and Bell.

The bigger worry for me is the offensive line. Don’t get me wrong, it would be great to have Kwity Paye back as the Wolverines desperately need their best defensive lineman and pass rusher, but the offensive line will be down some key pieces.

Mayfield is the best tackle on the team and his presence would have really helped. Even if Hayes comes back, Karsen Barnhart has played well enough that he may continue starting on the left side. It will be interesting to see what call is made there.

Andrew Stueber, I’m assuming will be playing right tackle again but he could be at guard too if Hayes is in and Zinter is out.  Also with Vastardis out, that will mean another game with Zach Carpenter at center, which is how I think U-M finishes the season.

If Zinter and Hayes are both out, we could see a new starter someone like Trente Jones and Trevor Keegan. At any rate, there are tons of combinations and we just won’t know until kickoff.